Rally To Me
by Zacatecas
Summary: Hoping to do some good in the world, while also escaping the firm grasp of his family, Jaune ventures to Beacon with his semblance and aura unlocked, and the drive to achieve his goal. However, as he ventures into his new path, he'll soon realize the rather long shadow his parents left on the world will have him questioning what exactly is 'good' and where a line needs to be drawn.
1. Welcome to Beacon

_What defines a hero? Well, mein liebling I'll tell you this; there is no one standard. A hero can be many things; a father, a mother, a friend, a leader, a soldier, a doctor, and even fallen heroes often remain heroes for a select few. As much as we desire it, there can never be a true hero and our heroes will not last forever. For they are like us; they are mortal. They laugh, and they cry. They rise, and they fall. They break…and they make their mistakes, just like you and me. But it is because they still rise, because they are able to continue forward that I believe makes them heroes; ordinary people who are willing to brave forward, to hold the torch and light the way. To take the continuous hits and still continue forward is what I believe makes a hero. And yes, death comes to all of us eventually, even to the best of us. Just remember, my child; a hero is not forever, but heroes never die._

With a slight jolt, and the sudden wave of turbulence a young man is awoken. Though, he awakes with a mild mumbling as the effect of being aboard this mechanical contraption has gotten the better of him. His palm staggers into a pocket within his armored wrist guard. Within seconds he retrieves a small pill, swallowing it with little effort. The effects would not be instantaneous, but the mere thought that he had taken it eases him. Settling back against the wall of the airship, he takes a look around and sees many a youth, similar in age similar to him. This was a first for him, being around so many other teens his age. And yet, he wasn't nervous, not in the slightest. Mostly due to the idle scroll attached to his wrist guard. It'd been eerily silent since his departure, more so for the past several days leading up to his arrival in Vale. Everything was in order; he had applied and was surprisingly accepted into Beacon, the school were the best hunters arise from. Although, while accepted, therein still lay initiation. A formal test that any with training could and should be able to pass, and with each school came a different method of testing.

Again, he glanced to his scroll; no messages or calls. He wasn't expecting any calls or texts from anyone in particular, and yet he knew it would only be a matter of time until he'd be found. Hence why he needed to pass initiation; he couldn't afford to fail. Otherwise, there would never be an opportunity again. _She_ would see to it. He knew the risks, and he took them.

Though, as he looked around, he found himself the only one perhaps overly dressed, So to speak. Or, more specifically, while many of the would-be hunters and huntresses wore little to no armor, his stood out as being rather bulky. Though, the only stand out to his ensemble was a curved neck guard on his left pauldron, a gold sash to go with the grey-amber mesh of his armor, and an oddly shaped pack on his back. His weapon strapped firmly to his waist; a one-handed mace, designed and forged by someone dear to the boy, as was the rest of his armor.

Strangely enough, this knight carried no helmet, though, that was less a fashion choice, and more for practicality, in his opinion.

Within a half hour the ship finally lands in its destination; Beacon. Such a place brought together people of all over with one single goal in mind; to protect the people of Remnant from a common enemy. Or, at least that's what the main focus should be. Given the state of the world, the mindset of folks, and the reason he felt the itching nerve every time he so much as heard a scroll go off; stress was abundant.

As he takes his first steps off the ship, he stops before a courtyard adorned with flora and a fountain depicting what he could only guess to be hunters of old. It was quite a sight to take in, more so when he noticed a few stares aimed his way. A few whispers and murmurs, mixed in with half-hearted attempts to subtly point at his armor. Some snickered, others ignored him, and a fair few looked at him with some trace of fascination. All in all they acted the way he expected; as teenagers. Then again, he knew he wasn't exactly here to get people to like him; he had a set goal in mind. 'Alright, Jaune, you're here...try not to mess it up.' He attempted to prop himself up, to mentally prepare himself to face whatever challenges came his way.

It shattered the moment he felt and heard a rather powerful explosion just behind him. He looked back and noticed two things that peaked his interest. A noticeably irritated white-haired girl berating a rather young-looking red-head. Or, he assumed she was a red-head, the tips of her hair were, but...

Shaking aside that train of thought, Jaune instead chose to approach, cautiously. An explosion like that meant someone might've been hurt, but given what he saw, it appeared as though only the white-haired one's cargo was hurt, and her ego after the a black-bowed girl intervened. As much fun as it all looked, Jaune was tempted to simply walk away. That is of course until he watched little red fall over once again after being left alone.

Feeling just a slight bit of empathy for her, he approached, the mass of his armor giving away his presence with each step. Her head popped up as he stopped in front of her. With an outstretched hand and a warm smile, he reached out to her.

"Hey. Need a hand?" Though, when he expected her to simply take it or shake her head, instead she just kept a fixed glance on him, or rather, his attire. It was only then that he noticed she had silver eyes, an odd thing to focus on, but in his defense the eye color was rare. And he only had a few seconds to notice them before a familiar gleam sparked in the girl's eyes as she sprang up and began inspecting his armor, in eye blinking speed.

It reminded him of one of his sisters, in an eerily similar scenario. "Wow, this is Rhein armor, from the third crusade. The style is almost the same as the fourth legion's!" The sudden spring in her tone, and the speed in which she spoke only gave him more goosebumps as to how alike this little one and his sibling were. "But it looks so modern. How did you do it? Can you rebuild it? Can I see it closer? Can I take it apart?" She was getting increasingly hyper, and faster, if that was even possible. In the favor of keeping his armor on, whilst also hoping to calm her down Jaune watches her movements for a moment before reaching out and grasping hold of something. Once she's stopped moving, he noticed he caught her by her hood. She seemed surprised, mostly by the fact that she'd been caught.

Once sighing in relief that he caught her on the first try, he smiled again. "Before asking to take off someone's armor, don't you think a date should come first?" His first instinct is to tease, and with it comes a rather noticeable blush from the silver-dyed girl. She sputters, incoherently, and he just grins at her failed attempts to form a proper sentence. In all fairness, this wasn't the first time he made a sputtering mess out of someone; it came with living with his family. After about a minute, he holds up a finger, shushing her. He waits as she does, and begins. "Let's try that again. Hi, I'm Jaune." He puts her down, the blush still present on her cheeks as she keeps her head down.

"Ruby." She replied meekly.

Jaune nodded. "Good, now that names are out of the way, you mind explaining that little explosion back there?" His curiosity got the best of him.

Ruby blushed again, though he could tell this was from embarrassment. "It was an accident, I swear!"

"Hey now, no need to yell. I'm not pointing fingers; I just wanna know what happened."

From Ruby's perspective he seemed earnest, caring, almost like a big brother. The blond hair only reminded her more of her own family. But, that wasn't necessarily a bad thing. For the most part. She hesitated for a moment before indulging on the details, few as there were to begin with.

"Well, I tripped over her bags...on accident!" She furthered her point with vigor. The blond nodded and gestured her to continue. "And after that she started yelling, and I got nervous, and she kept waving a vial of dust in my face...and then I sneezed." She admitted sheepishly.

"That's...one hell of a set of circumstances, feels like I'm missing something here."

"The dust was red and leaking. Some of it went up my nose…it smelled like smoke."

"There it is." Jaune mumbled, his fingers pinching the bridge of his nose. "So this girl has the nerve to go off on you about how dangerous dust is...while shaking a vial of volatile pyro dust, a leaking vial mind you, and then blames the explosion on you." He summed up, the edge of his voice bordering on annoyance and disbelief. When ruby nodded, Jaune sighed deeply before laughing dryly. "Well, that's some new level of ego right there. My sympathies to whoever has to deal with her for six years."

"I-I-I'm sure she means well. It is the first day and all; new people, new surroundings. It's a lot to take in."

"Hmm, I suppose you're right. Still, wouldn't hurt for her to lose the attitude." Jaune remarked.

There remained a moment of silence between the two as they continued their walk. That is, until the socially awakened Ruby decided to attempt to make conversation. "So, why are you here?" She then felt the urge to smash her head against a wall, asking a student why they were attending Beacon was similar to asking a hitman why he's killing someone; it's kinda what they signed up for.

Seeing the nervous expression on the silver-eyed girl, the blond chose to ease her embarrassment. "Well, aside from a tempting job in my aunt's architecture company, I mostly want to do some good. I always wanted to be like my mother." As he explained, a rather nostalgic smile emerged on his lips. "She's actually the whole reason I want to be a hunter; I want to help people get back on their feet, fix them up, and do everything in my power to make sure folks live to see another day. Long story short..." Jaune's right fist balled up, held up with faint vigor and a rather unique emblem on his left guard; a rabbit. "And it should go without saying; I'm going to be a hunter, well to be more specific, I'm gonna train to be a field medic."

Ruby's eyes lit up for a moment, sparks of admiration and inspiration were mixed in with her beaming expression. Although, as she did a double take on his armor, she realized his whole look gave more of the appeal of a knight in shining armor instead of a field medic rushing to your aid. His weapon as well screamed the exact opposite of his intention. She wanted to make a comment over it, but felt the need to keep it to herself for the time being.

Still, Ruby still seemed enamored with the level of detail and dedication that went into his attire, though her offhanded remark over the needless addition of his sash was slightly unnerving. His uncle had given it to him, a gift he cherished greatly, as he did with most things his family gave him. But, he didn't bring it up, choosing instead to play it off as simple banter. He knew she didn't mean any ill will towards his him, but from a practical standpoint, it didn't appear necessary, or so she said.

Which in turn made him choose a snide remark over her cape, resulting in the little one pouting, almost adorably, and huffing at how 'cool' her cape was.

As they reached orientation, the blond was still beside the puffed-cheek Ruby.

"C'mon Ruby, I said I was sorry." The girl had been ignoring him since he uttered his little opinion over capes.

"Say capes are cool." Ruby whispered; though the way she spoke only made him wanna tease her more.

"Hmmm...nah, serapes are cooler." He replied, teasing again, knowing full well she'd only grow more irritated with him. All of it in good jest, mind you. And he was right, Ruby again puffed in irritation, turning her head away. "Alright, alright. Capes are cool...on you." He added in.

A small tinge of pink was painted across Ruby's cheek as she chuckled nervously. "Better than serapes?" She asked with puppy-tears in her eyes, a little trick he became immune to oh so long ago. Although, it didn't mean he wouldn't play along, mildly.

Smirking, he crossed his arms. "Like I said, only on you, Ruby."

Upon entering the building, the two were greeted by the sight of a sea of first-years, many of which from all corners of Remnant. And of course, the blond was one of a few to stand out, particularly due to his combat attire. While many appeared to be wearing a lighter version of armor or in some cases only selective platted guards, Jaune was of the rare few that wore full-bodied, bulky, armor, save for a helmet.

"I feel overly dressed for the occasion." Jaune remarked, earning a chuckle from his silver-eyed companion.

"Well, being light on your feet is kind of essential when fighting the Grimm, it's kind of hard maneuvering a battlefield in full body metal. Also, Rhein armor is pretty rare nowadays. I mean, I've only ever seen them in books. Sometimes on the CCT network, they occasionally show documentaries about the crusaders." Ruby inquired, her love of old tech was only surpassed by her love of weaponry. Or more specifically, taking gadgets apart and improving on them. "Speaking of which..." as Jaune's eyes turned to face her, he was met with a slightly drooling teen with various sets of tools between her finger tips. "Can I take a look at your armor now?" The girl approached with unyielding curiosity, and he would've indulged had this not been his only set, even he couldn't exactly put it back together if Ruby did indeed take it apart. He backed away, nervously, and yet she only grew closer.

"I don't think my big sis would like others tampering with her tech..." he had hoped to reason with her, and to his surprise she seemed to comply, the gleam in her eye fading as she lowered her tools.

"Oh...is your big sis a blacksmith?" Even when being denied the chance at inspecting a rare piece of armor, she found it even more appealing to known that there was someone who could forge a set of crusader armor themselves, perhaps they'd like an apprentice.

"Something like that." Jaune rubbed the back of his head nervously. "My sis designed my whole set, trained me too...well, her and opa."

"Opa?"

"My grandfather; mountain of a man. He was actually a crusader, now that I remember. Don't know how that got past me, every time he came for a visit he told me of his adventures with his old team. I think he said his group was the First of the Order." The moment those words left his mouth, Jaune could feel the rather joyous aura emitting from the young teen. It was no secret the crusaders, in their prime, were some of the best warriors and huntsmen forged during the conflicts between the kingdoms, and the ongoing war against the Grimm. Though, after a failed assault on the Dying Lands some time ago, a majority of their order had fallen, leaving the rest to hang up their helms and retreat into the annals of history.

Of course, their weaponry was just as legendary as their history, with stories of their weapons being able to pierce through the toughest Beringal hide, without the use of dust. And their armor, able to withstand the force of a deathstalker's charge. The most famous of the crusaders was a man wielding a warhammer; his charges were enough to knock a pack of Ursa Major off their feet. In fact, the armor type was named after him.

Then again, aside from the latter, these were all mere tales, nothing exactly based in facts.

Even so, it appeared that Ruby was enthralled with the very idea of them, so much so that she seemed on the verge of exploding with both joy and questions now that she knew her new friend was a descendant of one. She was indeed bouncing again; the smile on her face was clear evidence to the amount of fangirling she'd be showing the minute the gasket blew.

For Ruby, this was a turn of events she never dreamed of. A living descendant of a crusader, here? In Beacon? And one who she got along with, she was practically over the shattered moon. Long hours of watching those documentaries and reading up on whatever she could of these legendary hunters, and one of their grandchildren was standing before her with a set of modernized Rhein armor; she was so close to sugar-rush levels of excitement. However, before she could interrogate her new friend on this remarkable discovery. A familiar voice called her out.

"Ruby!" She turned and saw the approaching figure of a buxom blonde, waving happily at her.

With a widened smile, she waved back. "Hey Yang." Without warning Ruby grabbed her new friend with a frightening grip, a lighthearted grin, and with an unbelievably strong tug; she managed to drag him a few feet before her face became strained. It seemed she was able to pull on him for a short amount of time before the weight of his gear caught up to her smaller frame. Still, it was a bit impressive, to say the least. Of course, that didn't mean she was having much luck moving him after the initial tug. Chuckling lightly, Jaune chose to walk forward, though he found himself unable to escape the smaller teen's grip.

Once they were close enough, Jaune took immediate notice of the fellow blonde's sudden shift in character at seeing Ruby locked in arms with him. The implication of the scene was clear as day, but he had hope whoever this was wouldn't jump to unnecessary conclusions. Keyword; hoped.

"Yang, meet Jaune; my new friend. Jaune, this is my sister." Ruby introduced, finally letting him go as she gestured them to greet. Granted, it seemed to have an effect on her sister given that the tint of irritation she had almost immediately dissipated once the girl released her hold on the blond. He had several theories on why her demeanor changed so suddenly, the most obvious being the protective sibling. His sympathies went out to the poor huntress in training, he had experience with overprotective family members.

Hoping to start off on a positive light, Jaune offered his left hand. "Nice to meet you." She seemed to hesitate, but soon took his arm, shaking it only twice. He noticed a faint twitch in her grip, her jaw tightening, almost as if applying pressure to something. Glancing subtly down, he noticed her fingers turning a pale fight, possibly from attempting to intimidate him through a show of strength. He wanted to taunt her, tease maybe, over why her little efforts would be all in vain. And it wasn't the armor that protected him; he could see dents on his armored gloves already.

Without warning, he returned the favor; her reaction was not so subtle. She winced as his grip increased ever so slowly. Of course, he let go once he noticed Ruby's worried expression.

After being released from his grip, she released a breath she didn't realize she had held in. Within seconds a mock grin sprung up. "Nice grip you got there, handsome." Her little compliment threw him off guard, as it did for Ruby as well. Yang took a moment to eye him from head to toe before smirking. "So, you all filled up in there or is the armor just for show?" Again, her question had Ruby a babbling mess, mostly due to her sister actively sizing up her new friend, whether it was her protective nature or an actual interest in him she still couldn't tell.

Seeing his chance to respond similarly, Jaune flashed his own cocky smirk. "Care to find out?"

Ballsy, he had to admit, however, given her little act with the greeting it was clear this blonde responded to strength. A trait he most certainly did not lack. Though, given his intended occupation, he wasn't so sure he'd rival whatever this buxom blonde had in her arsenal.

For a moment, neither two uttered a word, though Ruby was nervously quiet. On the one hand, her new friend wasn't backing down to her sister's intimidation, on the other hand; Yang had never been challenged like this before without immediately exchanging fists. It was an anomaly, to say the least.

Though, just before things could escalate a small chime broke the silence, the blond knight glanced to the scroll in his wrist guard and nearly paled at the sight of who contacted him. His brows furrowed, he bowed lightly whilst excusing himself and turned to leave, ignoring the small call from the scythe-wielder. He had no intention of sticking around for the headmaster's speech either way. Though, he walked out unaware of a few pair of eyes trailing him as he left the auditorium.

* * *

The hacker. The damned hacker found him, took her longer than he expected. But, he wasn't surprised, why would he be? Of all his family he knew she'd find him first. And given her nature, she saw this as an opportunity for her to get some leverage on him. Damn girl was resourceful, quick-witted, and absolutely merciless when she wanted to be. That is, so long as she had the upper hand.

After finding a secluded area near the cliffs, the blond braced himself for whatever came next. He opened up his scroll, instantly receiving a call simply labeled Boop. Jaune hesitated before accepting the call, and being greeted by a familiar face, her color aesthetics still various shades of purple, grinning smugly at him. But, upon closer look, he noticed something else, something faint. It almost felt like she looked relieved to see him. Odd.

"Olivia." He greeted, curtly.

"Aye, still the gentleman I see." Her tone never changed, but why would it? She always made sure she held all the cards, and if her hand fell apart, she always had a backdoor.

Jaune remained silent, and her smirk lessened as her eyes wandered elsewhere.

"You know, for a runaway, you're doing a shitty job at it." she commented, pulling up various surveillance images of him from the small hotel in Vale he stayed in, to the many bullheads he rode for his little trip. "You're lucky I found you, your mom is beyond pissed. She's got everyone looking for you; even Sati is pulling some strings. I'm almost impressed." Interesting, she almost sounded genuine. "But, a little misdirection here, missing scroll-mail there, and you're still in the clear." So she helped him, that made more sense than him believing he was clever enough to evade the many resources his family could reign in. But, he wasn't surprised that she stepped in, she didn't assist out of kindness. There was a catch, no doubting that. Almost without missing a beat her entire demeanor changed, her expression had become neutral. "And all it would take is one press of a button. If I press it, everyone will know where you are. Make no mistake, hermanito; they'll all come for you. Hell, your mom might too when she finds out you're attending Beacon. And if she's anywhere near the headmaster, not even abuelo will be able to hold her back this time."

"What do you want?" He replied, again curtly.

Olivia's face remained neutral, no ounce of smugness or joy could be found. And it unnerved the blond. It was a rarity to see her so serious, even on her job she'd be playful and layback. But now, he couldn't tell if she too wanted to tear into him for running off like he did, or if this was some new tactic she decided to use. "Information." Of course, he shouldn't have expected otherwise. Though, that she would seek his help in gathering Intel where she'd normally be able to acquire it herself was a curiosity, and a foreshadowing of whatever task she had in mind.

His eyebrow arched. "You need me for that?"

"Yep." Her smile returned with the popping of the P. "Something recent has piqued my interest, and your headmaster is to blame." The moment she mentioned the head of Beacon being her intended target, a small slither of fear crawled up his spine. It was one thing to gather information; it was another issue entirely to work for Olivia.

"I don't like where this is going."

"Whether you like it or not isn't important. And before you get the idea to not do as I ask keep in mind; you ran away, and I'm one key click away from giving away your location to the entire family. The closest to Vale is the vaquero and Sati." Her tone felt malicious, though not murderous and more along the lines of annoyance and an eerie feeling she'd be showing her annoyance towards him very soon. Though he didn't flinch when he heard of his uncle was near, Sati did indeed raise a couple of hairs.

"…I thought you were on my side about coming here." Jaune's comment struck a nerve with the hacker, if her hardened glare was anything to go by.

"NOT when you decide to sneak off in the middle of the night, leaving no note for your own mother." She spoke through gritted teeth. "Do you have any idea how desperate she had to be when she asked me of all people to help find you? Do you know what she'll do to you when she does eventually find you?" He did, or at least he had an idea. And the very idea shook him to his core, the dread had seeped in with images of the woman he called his mother, her sickening false smile sowing fear in his heart as he refused to consider the amount of punishment she'd have in store for him.

After a prolonged moment of awkward silence, Olivia chose to return the tone of their conversation back to business, she'd reprimand him another day. "Alright, enough of that, chamaco, your job is going to be simple." He felt the urge to scoff, but managed to reserve his lack of faith in his sister's idea of _'simple'_. "I'm gonna send you a little somethin in the mail, when you get it, go to the same spot you are now. I just installed a tracker on your scroll so I'll be notified when you're back here. Assuming you pass initiation, of course. But, I have my money on you getting in, shouldn't be too hard." She said all of it as if that without missing a beat, and quite honestly it didn't surprise him. "Don't open the package until we're able to talk again, and it should go without saying; we never had this conversation."

"You gonna tell me what this little op of yours is? What kind of information could Ozpin have that you can't access?" His interest was also piqued, though not as intensely as hers.

To which Olivia's response was a dry chuckle and the wagging of her finger. "Need to know basis. Earn my trust again, and maybe I'll fill you in. Don't be a stranger, squirt." As her finger pressed gently against her screen, she let out a small 'boop' before cutting their connection, leaving behind a purple skull.

* * *

**-Later-**

Suffice to say, the blond missed the entirety of the headmaster's speech, though he honestly couldn't care less to hear whatever it was Ozpin had to say. While Jaune didn't enjoy his mother's firm hold on his life, the only reoccurring description he received from people when regarding Beacon's headmaster was always the same; don't trust Ozpin. And with the stories he's heard of the man, it didn't surprise him to be given such a warning. However, the blond had a reason for choosing to attend Beacon, two, actually. One was his main goal, a path he was intent on treading, even if having to oppose his family. As for the second, that was an optional assignment he wasn't exactly sure he wanted the answer to as of late.

Still, aside from having to now work for the hacker, the first day at Beacon wasn't starting off so badly. Granted, as he stored away his armor and switched into his sleepwear, he couldn't help but feel immense guilt for not having left a note upon his departure. But, knowing his mother, she'd have eyes and ears around every hunter academy if she knew he was aiming to be a hunter. Which she did, mind you, but for her to step foot anywhere near Ozpin would mean the school would become a battleground. Not to mention, admission to Beacon required a rather effective background check, mainly to analyze an incoming student's prior training and lineage. The latter was more of a formality; offspring of well-known hunters were greatly sought after, the idea being that two powerful individuals could produce even stronger offspring. A ridiculous notion, but practiced regularly by the four academies. And while Jaune knew his mom was indeed well-known, her reluctance to even consider allowing him to enroll into Beacon was mostly due to its headmaster.

If it wasn't made clear, saying the woman did not like Ozpin would be a gross understatement. Jaune shivered upon remembering a moment in his life where he told her he wanted to attend Beacon, joy and pride beaming in his eyes, only for her to instantly shut him down, without hesitating. Though, it was the unnerving smile she had in that moment that sent alerting signals across his body, urging him to bolt, especially when she referred to the headmaster of Beacon while gleefully cutting up a chicken…the poor thing's head didn't see it coming. Almost made him go vegetarian.

Almost

Lost in his thoughts, and just barely exiting the bathroom the blond failed to notice an incoming student until the two collided. Though, in all fairness she didn't seem to notice him either, the cause being a book that had fallen like its owner; unceremoniously unto the ground. Though, Jaune remained standing, having trained for months on end to wear his particularly set of armor forced him to add on muscle to heft his gear. So, naturally it'd take a bit more to get him on his knees.

After recovering from what felt like bumping into a brick wall, the young lass groaned whilst attempting to stand, failing horribly. She knew hunters and huntresses would be strong, but hulking was not exactly what she expected to see in a school for hunters in training. Granted, she didn't exactly see this student until the sudden crash sent her and her book tumbling. Which reminded her…

"Ah, sorry about that. Here, let me help." As her vision cleared from its hazy setting, she glanced up and was met with an interesting sight, for a student at least. The blond before her was wearing a black, muscle shirt that hugged his frame rather tightly, accompanying the shirt were a pair of grey pajama pants. Of course, what instantly caught the girl's eyes were the exposed portions of skin on him riddled with scars. Jagged, often in pairs, like a certain symbol of a well-known infamous group; they were claw marks. Of what? She could give a good guess. She took note of a tattoo on his left shoulder; a gear cog with what she could only guess as wings sprouting from its sides. And metal. The arm he offered to lift her up, from the elbow to his fingertips; artificial, a prosthetic. Given these traits, one would expect a battle-hardened hunter ready to face humanity's greatest threat, and yet, there he stood with an apologetic smile and a welcoming expression.

An interesting mix, not one she expected to encounter so early on in Beacon, and from a potential first year no less.

She took his hand, hesitating at first, feeling the cold grip of whatever alloy it was made from. Once on her feet, she took note of his height; not a giant, but by no means small either. When he ducked down, she remained focus examining this curious anomaly, her mind mentally referring to him as an overgrown bear with a welcoming demeanor.

"Here's your book too…" Her train of thought instantly collapsed as her eyes snapped to her book now in his possession. Before she made any attempt to snatch it away, the blond's face formed into one of nostalgia. He released a small chuckle as he flipped through the pages. "Ninjas of Love? Aw man, I remember this, can't believe it's been three years since I finished it the first time." He closed the book, handing it back to her.

"You don't think it's…inappropriate?" the girl asked, her brow arched, slightly delighted to come across someone who has read the book as well, though what his opinion on the piece of literature was yet to be known.

In response, the blond shrugged. "So it has a few racy moments, doesn't make it any less a piece of literature. Actually, the fact that it makes certain folks uncomfortable is what makes it a standout. A proper story should challenge the reader's belief, not just reinforcing it." And with that, the girl smiled, faintly. She agreed, whole-heartedly. "I'm Jaune, by the way." he offered his hand again.

"Blake." She accepted, hesitating like before, but a little more open.

The pair walked towards the hall where all first years were meant to inhabit until their initiation. The two too focused on their conversation to notice a few eyes glued to them as they join their fellow first years.

"All I'm saying is that Tsukimi and Raiden were starting off at a good pace, but their relationship completely spiked in the second book when Tsukimi got jealous each time Raiden flirted with the countess. After that I swear it was almost like they took a dose of insta-love…which sounds like a Schnee product now that I think of it." The blond argued, to which the response was a slightly annoyed pair of amber eyes glaring at him.

"They were traveling together, the journey to Sinnai isn't an easy one, and there were moments the two had to rely on one another, even more so after they passed the border guard." Blake pointed out with a mild hint of annoyance, but mostly out of her own vigor to prove him wrong on a particular aspect of the Ninjas of Love series she enjoyed. "And she wasn't jealous; she just didn't trust the countess, which turned out to be justified when she and her brother attempted to kill them. Multiple times in the same chapter mind you."

"Twice." He corrected. "But I see your point, still, what about that scene where he was injured? I don't see how that's a confession."

Blake looked ready blow a casket; if her rolling eyes and tired sigh were anything to go by. "How could it not be? All those sweet words she said to him, her crying while she held his slowly dying body in her arms." She fixed her eyes back on him, quickly taking note how quick his smile dissipated into a hardened expression. Glancing around, she too noticed why he had grown quiet; eyes were on him. Some were out of curiosity, especially his prosthetic arm; that was to be expected. Others looked puzzled, as if they were trying to remember something. Was he familiar to them, did they know him from somewhere? Odd. But the ones that caught her eyes were two more worrisome glances; hostility, and hungrily. The latter she got, taking a look back at the blond, she'd admit, not openly, the blond was indeed eye-candy. Then again, these were all teenagers with raging hormones, walking a path where the phrase 'do you want to die a virgin', while a cliché and cringe-worthy line, would indeed come up more times than it should. And the hostility came mostly, and unsurprisingly, from the male side. She could see why; most of the first years were indeed built, it was expected given the line of work they'd be specializing in. But, compared to the blond, and with the additionally features that made him appear as a full-fledged hunter, Blake saw where the hostility came from; envy. Though, when she glanced back to the blond, she noticed the uncomfortableness in his body language, all these eyes on him were unsettling him, or she could only assume given his current situation.

"You alright?" She knew he wasn't, but confirmation was important.

"Y-y…no, not really used to folks staring." A small ting of pink arose in his cheeks. "Don't see why they're looking though, I don't know how I stand out." He muttered. To which Blake did a double take, wondering if he was actually serious. When he made no further comment, she chose to enlighten him, gesturing to each of her examples accordingly.

"Riiiiight. Cause every seventeen year old hunter-in-training has a missing limb, scars, and a body built to bench press bullheads. Nothing at all unique." She grinned, coyly.

The blond said nothing, instead choosing to remain quiet and avert his gaze, unaware of the ting of red still lingering on his face. Though, when he did respond, he muttered it so lowly he assumed she wouldn't hear him. "Some do…"

The two walked towards a small space by the window, giving them a fair view of the Emerald forest with the shattered moonlight in all its glory. As the two settled down, Blake now indulging in her book and Jaune silently tinkering with some tech in his hands, there was a collective peace being enjoyed.

Meanwhile, sitting a few rows away were a pair of siblings, one with an eerie wolfish grin, whilst her younger sister was more or less in awe. For Ruby, while she expected Jaune to have some form of muscle to maintain proper movement in his armor, she didn't expect the sight that passed before her. Not to mention, the tech on his prosthetic, while had her feeling a bit of sympathy for the boy, made the gun-nut rather curious as she had never seen the form of tech before. Each kingdom's technology was distinctive, and she worked with enough gear in her Signal days to get an idea of each kingdom's style. Jaune's arm, however, didn't match any she'd seen before, not to mention, the tattoo on his shoulder was strangely familiar, but she just couldn't put a finger on it.

Perhaps she could ask him, tomorrow.

As for the blond, while Blake was indulging in her book, he chose to meddle with a little piece of his weapon's component before dozing off. It wasn't so much to make any improvements or a scheduled maintenance check; this was more a force of habit. It had finally settled in that he was one step closer to achieving his goal, the next day he would be tested and if he passed, he'd officially be a student at Beacon. If he passed, the next six years of his life would be him dedicating his life to becoming what he wanted. But, if he failed, no doubt he'd have to return home, and there was no chance his mother would risk this happening again. Not him becoming a hunter, but him being remotely close to the headmaster. Like Olivia, there were answers Ozpin had that he wanted, and more importantly; a name.

* * *

**-Next day-**

With the rise of the sun came a collection of first years scrambling into the mess hall, the smell of syrup and meat filled the noses of those entering, and those stuffing themselves. There was little to no detail over what this year's test would entail, meaning they'd need to prepare themselves for days' worth of travel if need be. Though, sitting off in a corner of the cafeteria was an armored blond sitting alone. The lad was tinkering with his prosthetic, stopping only for a moment to take a bite out of his breakfast; eggs and hashbrown. Like the night before, several eyes were locked on him again, though he paid them no mind. Or at the very least he tried, focusing on his work and meal.

He had gotten up earlier than most, equipping his armor took allotted a fair amount of time, and he preferred a touch of solitude in the mornings. Like his mother, he wasn't exactly the friendliest in the mornings, hence a half cup of coffee beside his plate. With the continuous amount of first-years coming in for their meals, and the echoing sounds of chatter, Jaune found his peaceful morning dissipating. Amongst the various students, the blond took note of a rather eccentric red-head bouncing around a boy with ebony hair with a single pink strand. Feeling a certain pulsating pain in his head arising, he took his coffee and chugged it in its entirety. The pain had diminished, but it would only be temporary. In the interest of not starting his morning off irritated, the blond finished his meal, gathered his gear and walked toward the locker room.

On his way to grab his weapon, wandering eyes followed him as he passed his fellow first-years. Similarly to the night before and while Blake gave him a fair idea of why he stood out, the blond still disliked the feeling of those eyes locked on him. Watching him, seemingly keeping track of everything he's doing. It reminded him of home. Approaching his locker, Jaune found two individuals talking quite literally in front of his. A white-haired girl, the same one from the day prior. Her demeanor today was completely different, and judging by her rather eerie grin and cackle escaping from tightly grit teeth, he shuddered. The red-haired one, somewhat familiar in a sense, was visibly uncomfortable with her companion's villain-like expression.

Silently, or as quietly as his armor allowed, he approached; the white-haired girl must've been voicing her thoughts subconsciously since he knew no sane person would speak the way she did. All this talk of becoming popular and strong, felt like some overrated drama. Funny enough, the white-haired one didn't seem to notice the clanking of his suit as he approached. The red-haired one did, though, before she could notify her companion, the blond spoke up first.

*ahem*

The short girl's head snapped towards him, a faint blush arose across her cheeks as a pair of ocean blue eyes was staring blankly at her. Judging by her reaction to his sudden presence; he had snuck up on her, something that should not be possible. Still, it was amusing to see the girl rather flustered. Although, given her previous encounter with Ruby, he expected something different.

"What do you want?" And there it is. Her demeanor changed, drastically, as the blush remained but her eyes narrowed. Her glare was anything but threatening; her attitude could use an adjustment, though. "Can't you see we're having a conversation here?"

Jaune felt the pulsing pain again; he immediately regretted not getting a third cup of coffee. This wasn't what he signed up for; dealing with someone's bullshit. Like he said the day prior; his sympathy to whoever has to deal with her as a teammate. With a mild grumble, managed to respond without sounding too irritated. "My locker." That response being two words apparently. When she showed confusion he groaned, no longer subtle with his annoyance, leaned over and held a mild glare aimed at her. "You're standing in front of it." He really didn't want to start off on a bad note with a potential classmate, but mornings did not agree with him, and he couldn't care less if she was insulted by his tone at the moment.

Once again, the girl appeared embarrassed, scooting to the side as he walked in between the two. Without caring whether she watched he retrieved, firstly, a small shield, barely enough to cover his head from an attack, and with a rabbit emblem. He attached it to his left guard with a small metallic click noise to ensure the device was firmly locked in place. Next he reached in for his weapon; a mace. He attached it to his waist, calmly and with no rush, sensing hos slow pace was possibly annoying the short girl. If he had been looking, a smirk would've crossed his lips as he was indeed annoying her. Lastly, he retrieved a pack, or so it appeared.

For Jaune, this last piece was the hardest to equip on his own. Had he done it earlier, he wouldn't need assistance, but lugging this hardware was taxing if it wasn't going to be of use. He glanced to the white-haired girl, pondering for a moment as she glared at him. Out of pettiness that he would probably regret later, he scoffs and turns instead to the amazon. If he kept his eye on the other a little longer, he would've seen her livid reaction. "Pardon, miss…?" As he spoke those words he noticed a sudden gleam in her eyes, almost as if glint of hope had sparked.

"Pyrrha." Her tone had shifted, almost instantaneously.

"Alright then, Pyrrha, may I ask for your assistance?" It wouldn't be too much trouble with two, a simple thing really. When she smiled and nodded, it brightened his mood a bit. That is of course until the walking icicle started speaking again.

"Excuse me, do you not know who she is?" Her tone was now a near shrill scream, and it ate at his patience.

Subtlety and patience be damned, he turned to face the little snow flake and grinned. "Of course I do, that's why I asked for her name." His sarcasm earned a stifled giggle from Pyrrha, and a less than pleased reaction from the short-stack.

"This is Pyrrha Nikos, graduated at the top of her class at Sanctum." If his previous comments didn't annoy her, then his lack of reaction to the amazon's accolade was what caused a bit of steam to blow. "She's won the Mistral Regional Tournament four times in a row, a new record!" Again, he showed none of the signs she expected with the pedestal she placed Pyrrha on. Rather, Jaune seemed almost annoyed by it.

"I suppose this is where I say; congratulations?" The blond turned his attention back to Pyrrha. "Now then, mind attaching this to my back?" With a courteous nod, Pyrrha grabbed the pack, her eyes bulged a bit as she underestimated the weight of the package. Even so, she took hold of the device with a firm grip. She noticed three nail-like spikes and three holes on the armor. Needing no directions Pyrrha aligned the screws with the holes, meanwhile Jaune tampered with something on his scroll. Before getting the chance to ask him how to further proceed, a whirring noise caught her attention. As she glanced to the pack, the nails, one by one, automatically inserted themselves in. The blond winced with each insertion, almost as if the nails were being drilled into him.

Shaking away that rather morbid thought, Jaune rose up after the pack was tightly adjusted. He gave Pyrrha a polite node before attempting to make his way out. Sadly, luck would not be on his side. Just as he took two steps, the sound of the snow-themed doll called to him. "Excuse me, where are your manners?" Sparing her a sideways glance, he noted she had an ounce of vigor in her to approach him with her attitude. "Pyrrha has given you her name; at least have the decency to return the courtesy." She huffed while crossing her arms.

Oum, he really hoped she wouldn't be assigned to him as a partner. Any time of day he'd handle her, no problem. Her attitude wasn't anything new to him, but mornings would be a nightmare. Mostly for her, he wasn't exactly a pleasant person to be around in the morning. "If it'll get you off my back, short stack."

Oh how fun it was to watch the girl become a sputtering mess. "My name is Weiss Schnee." She spat out, rather angrier than he anticipated.

"That explains a lot." He muttered to himself, though it appeared that the two heard it. Pyrrha was barely muffling her amusement, whilst the Schnee almost blew a gasket. Seeing his opportunity to leave, he decided to quickly give his name and leave. "My name is Jaune." And with that, he again made treads towards the exit, or at least tried to.

"What? No surname?" The fact that he hadn't blown up yet was perhaps a bigger mystery than how this girl found it in her to bring up unnecessary drama. "Surely even a brute like you must have one."

Why was she insisting? He doesn't exactly know her, but he has been giving her reason to be thoroughly livid with him. Taking a moment to calm himself, the blond took a deep breath, easing the tension in his muscles before sparing the Schnee a final glance. "I doubt you'd care, Schnee."

No further words were spoken, Jaune just walked away without looking back.

* * *

**-Later-**

Pissed could not describe the sentiment Jaune felt as he was treading through the Emerald Forest. Not only did the headmaster not show for the beginning of the initiation, but the test this year was to search the Grimm infested forest for artifacts. And with a limited number of them, only those and their partners would be accepted into Beacon. Therein lay another issue he was having, the partner system was as followed; the first person you make eye contact with once in the forest is your partner. Simple.

Or, it should be. In his search for the relics, the blond had yet to find any living person. The lack of Grimm was nice, but it might've meant he was behind. Still, he hoped to find at least one Grimm to fight.

*snap*

Like clockwork, his luck seemed poised to adhere to any remark that would favor him negatively. Retrieving his mace from its holster, the blond readied himself for whatever came his way. His eyes scanned the forest, searching for any sign of a Grimm. Given the thickness of the surrounding shrubs, his attacker would have a small window if he caught them in his sights. If attacked via flanking, his armor would null the initial attack, hopefully.

*snap*

From behind. Jaune quickly turned, his mace held high as he turned to face his attacker. A beowulf, smaller than usual, easily taken care of. The creature lunged at him, with his reaction time he managed to get the first hit, striking the overgrown mutt clear across its jaw. It whimpered as its body limped to the side. Its jaw hung, unbalanced; he had dislocated it. Stunted by this, the beowulf had left itself wide open. Seizing the opportunity, Jaune clicked on a mechanism on the hilt of his mace, the head of the weapon fell over, connected to the hilt by chain. Without hesitating, Jaune swung the chain across the creatures neck, kicking its leg to force it on its knees, and with a swift twist, the sounds of a sickening crunch echoes in the forest.

The Grimm falls dead, its neck twisted. As it dissipated, a sense of relief and a tinge of pride washed over the blond. For being launched into a forest teeming with Grimm, he expected more.

*snap*

A shiver scrawls up his spine yet again, only this time; nothing is hidden. If they aren't in full view, then their glowing red eyes peer through the thickened shrubs. Surrounding him were a pack of beowulfs and a lone Ursa.

He cursed his luck as he readied his flail, flexing his left hand's fingers extended his small shield to a larger one with a bright blue particle barrier, his emblem displayed proudly at the center of his shield. Another little gift given to him to go with his little ensemble. Realizing there was no way out of this, and with a bit of pent up stress built up; Jaune steeled himself, spinning his flail around before grinning at the soulless husks.

"Alright, who's ready to take some punishment?!"

* * *

**So here's a new story, the device I use to write the chapters for my other stories decided to die on me and take with it a lot of work I had written…so I'm a little behind, and this one's just sprung up after a couple of gaming sessions, and trying to picture an idea where Jaune's semblance could be of use earlier on in the series. It's an AU, but It'll be pretty obvious what inspired Jaune's new storyline, as well as his family. I made this story solely for fun. Granted, I can't guarantee how often updates will be, this will mostly be a relaxing, day-to-day story line. Will it reach the moments of vol 3 and forward?...yes, I actually have a plotline planned out in that event. I made no effort to be subtle over who Jaune's family are, however, I will be making it much clearer for anyone who doesn't get the references in the next chapter. Thank you for reading. **

**Extra; I threw in a little reference in here, as opposed to the clear crossover of the story, in Jaune and Blake's conversation over the book, can anyone guess what series I'm referring to? Have fun with that.**

**Also, in case anyone is curious or just enjoys nitpicking, a serape is NOT a cape…it's a woven blanket used as a cloak, there's a difference.**


	2. Rally Call

Standing atop a cliff overlooking the Emerald forest, the Beacon headmaster is calm, externally. Internally, his mind was brimming with several colorful emotions. At the head of his current mood was one he was quite familiar with; regret. Of all the times he chose not to, this one time he decided to accept one of the General's ideas and had the initiation of this year's incoming freshman broadcasted. Why? The champion of Mistral, the heiress of the Schnee Corporation, these were simply to name a few of the well-known individuals currently aiming for a shot at Beacon. The broadcast was simply publicity, a means to inspire, and encourage youths to consider a life as a hunter. But nothing, nothing could've prepared him for this. How we managed to skim past the surname of one student eluded him, but he recognized the boy in an instant. How couldn't he? The boy's mother might've detested him, but the grandfather of the lad would not stop bragging about his little cub preparing for his own path to glory.

Still, of all the children of the people who held grudges towards, it had to be him. The son of the infamous-

"Professor Ozpin?" The headmaster's eyes calmly opened, glancing to his right-hand, and perhaps the only sane member of his staff by society's standards. Once she was within his sight, he noticed Glynda eyeing her scroll with a concerned expression. Judging by the constant vibrations, she was receiving a flurry of messages, and he could guess from whom they originated. And to his credit, he was partially correct. Some were from the Schnee corps, apparently 'requesting' their heiress receive more screen time, a few from Mistral kindly suggesting more focus on their champion, and a very winded response from Menagerie's chieftain, but the one he feared most came from one of his staff, a new addition he took in after her discharge from the Atlesian Military. Oh, and one very important piece of information that he, and she on many occasions, dared not allow to be forgotten; she was the boy's godmother.

Knowing full well what hell he'd unleash by not responding to her first, he pulled up her message first, her name and photo appearing on his call screen.

She had a fair complexion, long locks of deep violet hair tied nicely into a bun, similarly colored shade of lipstick and eyeliner as her hair, and a pair of beautiful yet hauntingly bright golden eyes peering deep into his soul. Her appearance alone struck admiration, but her name was what caught the eye of many.

_A._ _Lacroi_x

While knowing what would come next, he still chose to answer her message first. Opening the screen up, it only had two letters. But, that's all it took for her, right before the shot between the eyes came. Now that he thought of it; that's possibly why Ironwood had to let her go.

_You Knew_

As calmly as he could, he began typing, only to suddenly feel himself being stared down the scope of a rifle. Steeling his nerves, he continued typing, choosing his words extremely carefully.

_I don't handle admissions papers_

He responds, though the feeling of a red dot on him does not go away, the woman does not reply. Instead, Glynda receives a call from the aforementioned godmother, and proceeds to make the mistake of answering. Now, Ozpin can stand comfortably from his spot and watch the first years as his new combat instructor gives his second a piece of her mind. He felt for Glynda, he truly did, but he also had high hopes the theory of hereditary semblances applied to the boy, he would be a great asset in the fight against the Grimm. If his family didn't intervene.

* * *

**-Meanwhile-**

A beowulf with a twisted neck falls unceremoniously unto the ground, disintegrating into nothing within seconds, like the rest of its ilk. The student responsible for the creature's demise currently hunches, breathing heavily as he just faced off a wave of Grimm on his own. His armor and weapon were still operational, as were his limbs, but just barely. Jaune didn't expect to have to engage in a fight so quickly after landing, however, he was indeed glad his training wasn't for nothing. With a proud grin, he readied himself to venture forward, until he saw an Ursa spring from the bushes, its claws aiming right for him. He barely had enough time to raise his shield, but at the speed it was approaching him, it would take a chunk of his face with it. Thankfully, before the creature could lay a claw on him, the Grimm's body was suddenly floored, the cause being a rather large Warhammer crushing the creature into bits and pieces all over the ground. Said gruesome remains disintegrated within seconds as the wielder of the hammer rose up and met his ocean blue eyes with her turquoise orbs.

She was grinning, wolfishly, at him. In a way, it really creeped him out, but she saved his life so he wasn't exactly going to wander away, or make a snide remark. Though, he wondered when exactly she arrived to perfectly strike the Grimm coming towards him directly on its head.

"Uh…thanks?" His gratitude came off more skeptical than he would've wanted, but oddly enough, she didn't seem to mind much. Rather, she just stood there, smiling. Ok, this was not what he wanted right now…and worse yet, he just remembered a very important detail about eye contact during this assignment. "Ummm…where's your partner?" He prayed, oh did he pray for her partner to just suddenly show up out of nowhere. Her answer was a faint shake of her head. Her grin had eased, but her eyes were still locked on him. He prayed again. "So, this means we're partners then?" He waited with baited breath, only to see her nod, and the feeling of his prayers being thrown right at his face.

And it wasn't that he didn't want her as a partner, he knew next to nothing about this red-head. But what he did know was how over-energetic she was in the morning, if her unyielding vocal chords in the cafeteria were anything to go by. His morning self would not be able to handle her, he could already feel the headaches. And judging by how she handled the Ursa, he really did not like the idea of being on the receiving end of her hammer should his moodiness tick her off.

With his own awkward smile, he offers his left hand. "Nice to meet you then, partner." He swore he saw her gleeful expression falter, if only for a second before her grin widened. When she took his hand, she shook vigorously, nearly lifting the boy up in the process.

"Back at 'cha." Her tone was near the level of bolstering, proud, and gleeful. Oh if he wasn't reminded of a certain someone just by her outward demeanor, he had a feeling she was going to send him down many nostalgic lanes. And no doubt, if his opa ever found him, the blond had a feeling the two would probably get along swimmingly, depending on her personality of course.

"I'm Jaune." He greeted, again with a nervous smile.

"Nora." She replied with her first name as well.

Another awkward silence prevailed, that is, until the blond gathered himself, and gestured towards the forest. "Alright then, let's get moving." As he was passing her, he felt her hand grab his collar, keeping him in place. And he thought Ruby was uncharacteristically strong for her size, this girl just brought him to a full stop, and she didn't even appear to be using much of her strength either. Unbelievably strong women manhandling him without any effort, especially the ones shorter than him; Beacon really does feel like home now with every second.

His eyes glance to her, her grin remains as does her grip. "Where ya going, fearless partner?"

"Fearless?"

She nodded, a proud gleam in her eyes shone. "You fought all those Grimm by yourself, pretty fearless to me." She responded, answering more than she probably expected to.

"Well, I- wait…you saw that?" A rather irritated tone seeped into his voice as he watched her, again, blissfully nod. "And it didn't occur to you to help?"

"Nah." She waved it off, playfully. "You had it under control."

"That last Grimm begged to differ." He leveled a cold glare towards her, though she showed no reaction to it.

"And that's where I come in, to watch your back from here on out." She spoke as if her logic was valid.

Oh how he was starting to regret coming here, but the feeling did not last. Instead, he took a deep breath and tried to move, only for his partner to keep him in place.

"Hey, Nora, mind letting go?"

"Where ya going, fearless partner?" There came that question again.

"To find the artifacts." He responded, curtly.

"Where?" She asked, innocently. Though, given how she handled the Ursa, the image was not sitting well.

"I don't know, somewhere in the forest I suppose."

"Oh. Did ya see anything on the way down?"

Before he responded with some sarcastic remark, an image flashed. He did. He saw something just before landing in the woods; structures, riddled with vines and clear signs of weathering, but sticking out like a sore thumb. Given a moment to think on it, Jaune ponders, aloud. "Ruins, in the north of the forest. If the headmaster hid the relics, that's one place he could've hidden them. In that case…" He walked towards a nearby tree, eyeing where the moss had been growing. After determining where, he gestures north, only to find his partner had let go of him and was already standing in the direction they were heading with her weapon in hand, now mecha shifted into a grenade launcher.

"Ready when you are." She announced. "But it's my turn to have some fun!" Nora held her weapon in the air, smiling devilishly at the prospect of the Grimm she and her new partner would be facing.

For a moment, the blond was stunned. This girl was already a few steps ahead of him. Granted, he wished she stepped in to help him when she saw him under attack. Looking back at it; she was perhaps the only one that saw him enter a fight and only intervened when she saw it necessary. He wasn't the support, and he wasn't in the back of the fight anymore; he was leading the attack. It was an intoxicating feeling, to have someone believe in your abilities, even a complete stranger. But then, she wouldn't be much of a stranger now would she. With a heavy sigh, he jogged behind his suddenly overly hyper partner as they made their way north to the ruins.

But then, she stopped, her arm held up. She turned to him, giving him a sideways glance. "How long would you say it would take us to get there?"

Jaune stuttered, for a moment, before calculating an answer. "Judging by the terrain, and the stream in our path, I'd say a good hour, two if we take stops."

Upon hearing his answer she smiles, and he suddenly starts to fear for his life.

"Then let's hitch a ride." Hitch a ride? He was going to ask, until she pointed into the treelines, attempting to sneak away, poorly, was an Ursa that had seen the carnage earlier and tried fleeing. Only to suddenly realize it had been caught. Jaune's eyes darted back and forth between his partner and the Grimm. It took him precisely ten seconds to realize what she meant, as he tried walking away, she caught his collar again and without any effort threw him over her shoulder. While he wanted to comment on her inhuman strength, her waltzing towards the Grimm took precedent.

"Nora, no!" he struggled, in vain.

His partner, while he couldn't see, smiled innocently. "Nora, yes!"

* * *

**-Beacon Cliffs-**

Oh how Ozpin was glad he wasn't in Glynda's shoes, after the blond's partner decided on how to move about during their test the voice on Glynda's line rose to the point that she had to hold her phone a distance from her ears.

Lacroix, a woman many knew to be cold, logical, and above all else; emotionless. Right now, however, the infamous sniper was practically seething, and if he could see her now, he expected her to have her finger itching to trigger a rifle aimed directly at him. What was stopping her? He couldn't say, not for sure. All he knew, so long as the boy was breathing, so was he. This family of hers, the mother of the boy, Ozpin knew the bitterness the majority of the family held towards him. To have the sniper join his staff was a stretch, no doubt she had her reserves about working for him. Though, the headmaster had doubts that there were any legal jobs outside the military for a sniper that apparently never misses. Why Ironwood allowed her to leave his charge was still a mystery, but the headmaster of Beacon seized the opportunity, by her conditions, mostly.

Diverting his attention back to his students, it seemed a decent size was flocking to the ruins, the smart bunch at least. He noticed a fair share of the incoming students wandering off to who knows where. As for the last paired team, he had a moment of fear for his school's lien budget as he watched the two mount the Ursa and force the thing forward, like watching a Matador fight in Vacuo. An interesting pair the two was showing to be; Nora Valkyrie and Jaune-

"Headmaster Ozpin." The sound of that thick Mistrilian accent made his past lives pass before his very eyes in that one moment. Outwardly, he remains stoic and calm, inside; he's pleading for salvation. He turns to the newcomer, only to see his newest staff member glaring at him. Judging by her current gear she had not come to scold or chew him out. Worse; she appeared in her old combat attire, and her rifle slung across her back. "Lovely day for a walk, wouldn't you agree?" Ozin peeked to where Glynda in hopes of finding support, instead he sees his second with a narrowed glare at him, just before she averts her eyes to her scroll to monitor the students.

"Now, Lacroix, I do hope you aren't thinking of doing something drastic." He noticed how close she was to a launch pad, though, only the headmaster held the controls to the pad. "This event is currently being broadcasted, no need to make a scene."

The woman's glare was nothing if not piercing; indicating whatever he said next would determine whether he would sleep safely that night. She averted her eyes from the eyesore that was the headmaster, keeping her attention focused on the forest where her godson was currently engaging in the initiation with a rather…eccentric individual. Although, if given a choice in the matter, the sniper would've preferred a more grounded partner, granted the girl was smart, to a degree. Strong? There was no denying that. But, considering they'd be living under the same roof had her uneasy, for a variety of reasons. The biggest of which was soon being on the receiving end of an overly worried mother demanding her son be sent back. And the backlash she'd receive for refusing.

"No." Her response was hesitant, but she made no attempt to dash into the forest to retrieve the runaway. "I am here to assist as Oobleck, Peach, and the round one in my duties as a professor here."

Well, that wasn't suspicious in the slightest. Regardless, Ozpin chose to humor her. "While that is not necessary, additional help is always welcomed. However, I must ask that you not intervene in this. The freshman must complete this task on their own, professors only step in when the number of Grimm are too much for mere first years."

She did not respond, rather, she kept her eyes focused on the ruins ahead. When she finally did give her response to the headmaster, she made no effort to be subtle. "I don't intend to, however, I will warn you, should you get any ideas regarding the boy you'd best forget them now. You may have the silver-eyed brat in your mitts, but you will not take any more of my family on your forlorn vendetta."

There was no fear in the man at that moment, it shifted to solemn regret and moderately contained anger. He had lost many allies in his life, many friends who lost hope and chose to diverge from salvation, and live out their days doing whatever they pleased, never seeing the bigger picture. The departure that hurt the most; was the boy's mother. Her power could've been put to such greater use in their fight against the Grimm, rather than whatever mundane lifestyle she does now.

Ozpin says nothing the sniper, instead watching as she prepares to descend into the forest to take position near the forest borders. As with every initiation, the staff oversees the number of Grimm within the forest to prevent a horde from overrunning the freshman. It was supposed to be simple, watch the border and radio back in if there was trouble. Luckily enough, no such incident had ever occurred; the protocol was simply installed in the rare instance such an event does occur. Although, he justifiably had concerns as to the true intentions of his school's new combat instructor. As she descends into the forest, Ozpin keeps an eye on his scroll. With the live broadcasting of this event, no doubt the mother of the blond had seen him in one of the feeds.

Changing the camera view, the screens turned to the students by the ruin, apparently already engaged in battle with a handful of Grimm. Though, he quickly took notice of an anomaly with this herd of Grimm. Not the size, or their makeup bothered him, it was how this small herd seemingly sprung up without prior detection.

* * *

**-Emerald Forest, Ruins-**

Three beowulfs were tossed across a field, their bodies disintegrating as a small gathering of freshman hold their position by the ruins where the 'relics' were kept. The few with shields stationed themselves at the front with long-ranged weapons providing support, and close range combatants faced-off against a plethora of Grimm. From beowulves, to ursa, borbatusks, and even an alpha beowulf to top it all off. The latter was being distracted, kept away from the main group, whilst those within the shield circle were nursing their injuries. Aura could only do so much, and many of the injured were ones that had just depleted a good chunk of theirs fighting off the first wave.

An irritated red-haired mace wielder growls as his slow-paced aura barely heals his wounds. "Remind me who's dumb idea was it to wander into some random fucking cave and piss off a sleeping herd of Grimm?!" he yelled out as one of the aforementioned guilty parties was busy tending to the wounded. The other was with the shield formation holding back the Grimm with her rifle.

"I'm sorry." The red-headed champion called out, only to miss one of her shots, giving a beowulf a chance to press forward. It would not get far as a shotgun blast to its head knocked the creature back a few pegs before it too disintegrated.

"Pyrrha, focus!" Yang shouted as her and a few fellow freshman kept going at it against the creatures of darkness.

From atop the pillars, three snipers are gunning down whatever came into their sights. The highest held the silver-eyed prodigy as she carefully reserved her shots for targets she was assured would be hit. She aligned another ursa into her scope, adjusted trajectory, and pulled.

*click*

She cursed, reaching into her ammo bag, only to pale at the realization. She broke from her stupor when she realized her fellow marksman had as well ceased fire. When she glanced their way, she noticed the similar state they were in; hands deep in their ammo bag, but not munition.

"Out of ammo!" Ruby shouted out, jumping down from the pillars with the others as their rifles mecha shifted to melee weapons. From the shield wall, those with fire-arms as well began finding themselves with no ammunition. They had spent most of their stock to get to the ruins, and now they were mostly empty at this point.

"There's too many!" One student shouted.

"The hell are all these bastards coming from!?" Another threw in. The students holding back the deathstalker were showing more signs of being physically exhausted than the overgrown scorpion. The short range fighters were starting to run on empty as a majority had their aura well below the thirty percent mark. And the shield line would only hold the Grimm back for so long. They could've just gotten their relics and ran, that's what they should've done from the beginning. Why didn't they? The injured. Some of the students who made it to the ruins had gotten injured along the way, stopping to rest, they intended to only stay for a short time before moving on. But, the Grimm started to appear in droves, those who fought back were doing so under the pretense that they were dealing with stragglers. And yet, more came. And more, there was no end to them. The stragglers became a pack, and the pack became a herd, and there was no end in sight.

They couldn't leave now, they had too many injured, and their exhausted were spent up as is. If it kept up the way it was, they wouldn't last for much longer. This was what they were trained for; to fight the Grimm, but they were not yet ready for this level of numbered enemy.

A large explosion rocked the earth beneath them, all eyes, even the Grimm, turned to a section of the forest where the herd was emerging from. As the Grimm turned their heads back, many were suddenly engulfed in flames from an explosion as an already disintegrating Ursa emerged from the flames, a red-head sat atop the creature's back laughing maniacally. When the beast did hit the ground, it did so with the red-head's hammer cementing its head to the ground. Bouncing off her kill, Nora took a moment to inspect her handiwork before nodding in approval.

"That wasn't so bad." She commented.

"Nora!" The red-head's eyes shone for a moment as she searched for the source to the voice that called her. Her eyes landed on her companion early on. With blinding speed she rushed over towards the boy, nearly tackling him to the ground as she dove in for an embrace.

"Ren!" She called out just before impact. As the boy reeled from the sudden attack, the girl was smothering her face against his chest. "You made it!"

"Nora…can't…breathe." The boy was suffocating under her tight embrace. She only relented after seeing his face go pale.

Her bright and cheery smile remained as she, nonchalantly mind you, retrieved her hammer from the still disintegrating Grimm's head. The sickening crunching noises that followed caused her fellow first years to flinch as she absentmindedly shook off the oozing black blood and stood proud with her hammer at the ready.

"NORA!" All eyes snapped to where she first emerged from the forest, the alpha beowulf landed heavily upon the ground, the chain of a mail was quick to wrap itself against its neck, and with an armored boot pressed against its back; a blond knight heaved with such force, the creature's head was torn clean off. The chain retracted as the flail reverted to a mace once again.

Standing beside the alpha's disintegrating body was a blond knight, carrying an unconscious heiress in one arm, behind him was Blake and a few other freshmen who were tasked with distracting the alpha.

He was huffing as he and his group calmly walked up to the rest of the group. The Grimm around them still gathering their bearings after that sudden entrance. "I *huff* have been chasing you *huff* for forty minutes!"

"I told you to hold on." Nora replied as if it were a normal thing, smirking proudly as her partner approached the ruins.

Feeling that arguing with her at this point was useless, Jaune chose instead to place the heiress down. He placed a hand on forehead, and within seconds, a golden aura encompassed his body, dimming only when it seemingly shone over the heiress as well. What the spectators noticed almost immediately was the rapid healing process she was going through. From small scratches to gashes were healing with a great amount of speed. For many, this was indeed a sight to see, a healing semblance was a rarity in its own right, very few in history were ever recorded to possess such a power, the most recent one was an Atlesian doctor who just up and walked out of her huntress, and no soul knew whether she was still alive or not. What was currently a hot topic over her departure were certain allegations over stolen research. In any case, Jaune's display caught many eyes, including those watching from the broadcast.

After the light faded, and the blond stood up, Weiss stirred. Groggily, she rose up, her muscles slightly sore, but feeling oddly rejuvenated. When her vision returned she glanced around, noticing eyes partially on her, and others focused on the eyesore she knew as the brute with little to no manners. Though, while these people would be gawking at his presence, more pressing matters were of concern.

A collection of growls and snarls brought the students back to reality as they saw the Grimm regrouping, cutting off perhaps their only window of escape.

"Fuck, there goes that window." One of the students cursed, the majority realizing they could've escaped instead of listening to useless banter, and gawking at a student with possible healing abilities. Although, the later was more a benefit to know, but no one was naïve enough to think he could heal them all forever.

"Don't suppose anyone's got an exit strategy?" Blake groaned as she could barely hold her weapon up for much longer.

"No…" He muttered. "But, we'll make one. Everyone group up on me! Shields to the front, anyone with ammo cover the flanks." he started barking out orders, a few were reluctant to follow, while a majority quickly got into positions after Nikos and Xiao Long burst into action. Those who were reluctant, upon seeing the rest form up, decided to group up as well, seeing the advantage of surviving in larger numbers.

As the Grimm grew closer, the blond reached into his pack, a small vial was dispensed upon pressing on a section of the pack. A stolen cocktail of bio-enhancement, a weapon designed by his grandmother, it was perhaps their only chance at breaking through the lines. For a moment, he hesitated; knowing full well he only had one and needed to make it count. His first thought was Yang, her strength and power would most likely deal more damage, but there was the risk of her attacks causing an accidental friendly fire, or burn the forest down with them in it. Pyrrha was a close second, though her style relied on precision and coordination, she wouldn't be able to create the gap they needed. Which left only one candidate…

'I'm sorry, Nana.' The blonde loaded the vial to a launcher in his wrist. "Nora!"

"Yes Jaun-eeee!" The hammer-wielder yelped as her head snapped to where she felt a sudden stinging pain. She found a vial, with an impressively elongated needle embedded in her left back bumper. A blue liquid within disappeared in seconds, presumably injecting her with the contents. There was a brief silence, and without warning, a golden aura washed over the girl with sparks of lightening emitting from all points of her body.

"You're powered up! Get in there!"

She didn't need to be told twice, she felt it; power. Raw, seemingly limitless power surging through her veins. Her own semblance was practically flaring around her. Breaking her partner's legs for firing at her ass would have to wait, she felt invincible, and judging from the Grimm around her. All of which biting and scratching and yet not leaving so much as a scratch on her. She grinned, hoisted her hammer with ease, as if it were lighter than air, and swung effortlessly at the horde around her, sending many of them flying through the air. The sudden invincibility of their new foe stunted the Grimm, allowing the first years to regroup into a tight formation. As Nora tore through the beasts, the first years had collected their wounded and huddled together, waiting on the blond's next order.

Jaune however, was hesitating, mainly; he had never done this on a mass scale. What you may ask? His semblance; his limit was five people at a time, six being a stretch. But a little over two dozen was more than what he could handle. However, from what he could see, no one here was in any condition to press forward and assist his partner in clearing a path for an escape. And healing five would only further limit their offensive options. But, a single moment where his unreasonably high aura reserves had come; he would pour all he could into his pack, the device would amplify his semblance to affect a broader range, and with any luck, with all the aura he'll be pumping into his classmates, he might still be conscious after this. So, steeling his nerves, he lifted his mace into the air.

"**RALLY TO ME!" **

On cue with his call, the nails on the pack hissed as three pillars emerged. His aura encompassed his body while yellow mist was being sprayed from the pillars, his mace seemingly shone as well. His pupils had completely disappeared amongst a bright flashing white glow. His fellow classmates felt the immediate effects of the mist; their auras were being replenished. Slowly, but visibly as well; evident by the rapidly healing wounds of the injured and the ones currently standing finding themselves with resupplied vigor.

"Advance!" As well, not needing to be told twice the ones with shields advanced into the confused lines of the Grimm, the majority of them doing as they were told; making a break for the school. Their assignment was to retrieve the relics, not clear out the forest. So, the shields cleared a path, and those still with low aura were quick to make it through the Grimm lines. It was a good thirty seconds in before Jaune suddenly spat out blood, his aura flickered, and the pillars on his pack shut the emission of the mist off. He staggered a bit before falling to his knees; his breathing became ragged with each passing second. The world was spinning in his eyes, the worried shouts of Ruby and Pyrrha were muffled, drowned out by an unsettling ringing in his ears. His eyes wandered, he looked around as the group of students were now replenished and much more active fighting off the Grimm as the lesser healed ones were swiftly escorted through.

His eyes kept wandering, stopping only when locked onto his partner. Fear began to encompass his mind as he noticed the golden glow dye down, and her movements slowing down. The Grimm were kept at bay for the most part, but there was one that got ballsy. It approached from behind, seemingly waiting for the perfect moment to pounce.

Jaune ignored the pain flowing through his body, sprinting with what little energy he had past Ruby and Pyrrha to get to Nora. Knowing he was already overdoing it, he took another risk, activating a small feature added to his armor; jet thrust. It was momentary, only enough to cover a short distance, but it brought him closer to his partner. As if time slowed with each step he took, he watched the Ursa major open its jaw, a claw raised high into the air. With just enough time to spare, he held up his shield, parrying the Grimm's claw attack even while deactivated. What he didn't see coming was the creature, bringing its head down without warning, and snapping tightly onto his arm, ripping it from his connected joint with ease.

It was as if the world had come to a grinding halt for the red-head. One minute she felt herself brimming with unlimited power, and the next moment she feels powerless as she watches her partner take a hit that was meant for her, and a sight that would haunt her for years to come. She saw the metal bits, even some blood mixed in, but seeing her partner lose his arm, a prosthetic albeit, she felt anger boiling in her blood.

She rushed forward, her hammer swung with such ferocity; as the blond's hit the ground he still watched as his partner's swing took the major's head clean off in a single swipe. But at this point fatigue had caught up to him, as did the slowly decreasing aura level. Not to mention the side effect of overusing his semblance. It hurt, to lose conscious so slowly, left in a near vegetative state as his body shut down to recover the insane amount of aura he had just lost. What hurt the most, in this case, was seeing his partner rush to his side frantically trying to get him to respond. He wasn't going to die, thus was something normal for him, but he knew he'd have hell to pay once he awoke. The world grew darker, sounds muted to eerie nothingness. Within seconds, there was nothing but darkness.

* * *

**-Medbay-**

Pain, that was the only feeling coursing through the blond's body as he began to stir. Jaune felt relieved, realizing if he felt nothing after pulling a stunt like that, then he must've bit the dust. Still, it was good to know that his machine worked, the amplifier worked like a goddamned charm. Though, it would need some repairs after his group amplification. He knew the risks, but he took them. The idea of those entire freshmen, his classmates, helpless and with no energy left to fight back; he had to take the risk. And it worked out in the end.

"You'd like to think that, wouldn't you?" That cold question caused his eyes to bulge and made his blood run cold. He turned his head, greeting the familiar face of one of the few people he _did not_ want to see after running away. She had her arms crossed and her eyes narrowed, aiming directly at him, as if she were planning to shot him herself.

"Uh…hey, auntie Am." He greeted with a meek tone. Her gaze on him grew as thin as her patience. He had hoped the old nickname he gave her would ease the tension. It did not. No surprise there, he knew it was a long shot.

The two remained silent, as the only sound within the medbay was the ticking clock. Feeling the weight of the tension, and in no mood to spark up a conversation with her, Jaune chose to keep his eyes elsewhere. There was something on a desk beside his bed, pieces of shredded metal lying idly before him. Instinctively, he tried moving his left arm, it felt lighter than usual. He slowly reached over, hoping to grasp a cold prosthetic; he grasped nothing. A flood of memories suddenly hit him all at once, from his overuse of his semblance amplifier, to taking a limb for his partner. All the decisions he made, he knew there were probably other options he could've taken. But in the heat of the moment, his focus was on getting everyone out alive, the price he paid was, in his opinion; miniscule when taking into account the outcome.

"I asked you a question." His hairs stood on end as he felt the anger in his godmother's tone. With whatever willpower he had, he turned to face her. He was greeted with the exact expression he expected; a piercing glare. He zoned out again, apparently ignoring whatever she had asked. Seeing his confused expression, she eased her currently simmering anger, only ever so. "What compelled you to take such reckless actions? Do you have any idea how many messages your has mother left on my scroll since you pulled that little stunt?" As if on cue, a vibrating scroll buzzed in her hand, to which the blond only then realized she was holding the communication device in her palms the entire time. "Speak of the devil." She muttered, closing her scroll with a tired sigh. As her eyes locked on him again, her glare returned, awaiting an answer to her previous question.

He hesitated, though at this point and in his condition he doubted any chance at avoiding having this conversation. Reluctantly, he responded. "I…the people around me were almost out of aura, my semblance restores and amplifies their aura. I don't think an explanation is needed for what I did."

She pinched him, hard, on his good arm. He recoiled, hissing at the way her fingernails dug into his skin. "Wrong, try again."

Though, much like his parents; he doubled down. "I did what needed to be done, we got everyone out. That's what matters."

This time, she tugged on his ear, earning a whimper from the boy. She'd done this before; this was nothing new to him. But now, he felt her tugging harder than usual. "Foolish child." She snarled, releasing her hold on his ear, allowing him to nurse the stinging pain. "You think you're some hero because you chose to endanger your life? And for what? To defend a rabble of children who couldn't even hold back a herd of beowulves and ursi. What you did was bravery to you, but logically, you took a risk that could've been avoided." Her expression softened, if only for that moment. She reached to the tray beside the cot and held out the boy's torn prosthetic. Or rather, at this point it was junk now. "You're of no use to anyone dead."

"…I'm not a hero." Jaune muttered, and perhaps to Lacroix's surprise, with a touch of disdain as he uttered that word. "I saw the opportunity to save people, and I took it. My arm is replaceable, my partner is not. I know it was reckless, but I don't regret it. In fact; I'd do it again."

His act of defiance did not go unchallenged. The two were locked in an exchange of silent glaring, neither willing to back down.

*crash*

*thud*

The sounds of items being broken, and the slamming of metal against gravel echoed throughout the medbay's many rooms. The two turned their attention towards the door, there were muffled voices heard. At first they appeared rushed and borderline antsy. Not even two seconds later came more broken noises, the tone of the voices become hostile with one gruff voice attempting to simmer the heat down. What came next proved their efforts in vain.

"FUCK THE DEEP BREATHING!" Muffled, but distinguishable. The blond felt his skin crawl for some strange reason, as if danger was looming just down the hallway. Amelie, however, groaned upon hearing the angered voice. Her scroll vibrated, prompting her to spare a quick glance before sighing and standing up.

"I am needed elsewhere." As she reached the door, she gave him a sideways glance. "Do not try to run away. I will find you this time." He flinched, especially when she caressed the sidearm strapped to her hip. When the door clicked shut, he relaxed back into his cot. Eyeing a remote by his bedside and the screen above his bed, he flicked to the first channel. His eyes bugled as he watched those who passed the initiation be formed into teams of four, the entirety of the ceremony was being broadcasted. Oh, that could only mean he was now on a borrowed time. Knowing his family's resources and his mother's overprotectiveness; punishment for the consequences of his little stunt would come to him soon enough. That was something to look forward to, though, as the current team was announced, he felt a hint of pride as his first friend was named team leader, at the obvious dismay of her white haired partner. Yang appeared proud, that wasn't a surprise, her sister was made the leader of their team. As for Blake, she was vaguely uncomfortable; he'd be too if he was told he'd have to spend four years sharing a room with a walking doll with attitude. While the newly formed team RWBY descended from the stage, his partner and two others stepped into the spotlight.

"_Unfortunately, one member of this next group is still in recovery. Traditionally, we would have the four standing before you, however, for today; we shall name the team in his absence."_

Geez, they almost made it sound like he had died.

"_Lie Ren, Pyrrha Nikos, Nora Valkyrie, Jaune…" _

Jaune shut his eyes, blocking out the headmaster's words. So, that was his team huh? A part of him was thankful the Schnee was not in his group, though, he did feel for Ruby and Blake. The two didn't deserve that form of punishment. Still, he wouldn't deny that it was going to be fun teasing the heiress as much as possible. That Lie Ren boy, Nora was awfully close to him; hell her reaction to seeing him again warranted a rather forceful embrace upon their reunion. The Nikos girl was talented; she proved that much in their last final push against the Grimm.

In any case, this was what he wanted; entry into Beacon, a nice little team to call his own, and with Nikos as the team leader he wouldn't have to worry about having to see Ozpin any more than he needed to. Life seemed to finally be giving him a break.

"_Led by…Jaune Ziegler."_

….

Well, that certainly was quite the slap in the face. That came not even a second after he was beginning to settle in.

"…any more surprises?" He mumbles to himself, clearly not expecting a response.

*ahem*

His eyes snapped to the now opened door, Amelie standing under the doorframe, arms crossed and her ever unchanging glare. Beside her were two visitors he least expected to see right now. One was currently sporting a shit-eating grin, surprisingly enough he wasn't smoking his usual cigar. But then, they were in an infirmary so there's that. He still wore that ridiculous rancher's hat, made only slightly less of an eyesore thanks to his red and gold serape. Why he was smiling was his own reason, but beside him was a walking nightmare.

The woman was wearing bright blue tinted glasses, a similarly colored dress that generously exposed her legs, and was visible clenching her right arm's prosthetic fingers to the point that the blond could see the fingers denting themselves. Her glare, however, was what set her apart from Amelie. The latter had one of two common expressions, an annoyed glare or a stoic demeanor. This woman, however, rarely ever expressed her outrage as she was now. It was, and this was quoting the woman herself 'unsightly'.

At times like this, there was a phrase his mother had that would best fit the current situation.

"…Gottverdammt."

* * *

**Had these two just waiting to be published, though I noticed I didn't leave enough clues as to who Jaune's mother would be in the first one. Interesting though, the thought of him as a Lindholm…now that I think of it; that would've made for some interesting hijinks. Still, I'm firm with Angela as the mother. Also, for those who guessed, and it should've been obvious for any who've played the game; (Her call will either haunt you or inspire you) Jaune's armor and gear were based off Brigitte's. Now, does that mean he's supposed to be her? No, she will appear in the story. Would she and Jaune be mirrored versions thanks to similar armor? Interesting thought, let's ponder that for a moment. But for a more obvious note to make; will they have the same abilities? No, but I'm working my way around that. Oh, and if anyone is wondering why I had Jaune shout Brigitte's ultimate, it will be explained…later…**

**P.s. More family will appear as the days go on, who comes next? Well readers, it won't be mom just yet, soon though. Very soon. Also I'm kinda surprised no one got the Ninja's of love reference, the second season of that reference came out not too long ago. **

**Response time:**

**Deathcornfive; yea, normally it would be four, but I decided to change it up. Just a little.**

**Tgokmuch; there you are, giving me more ideas. The Linholm route would've been a good one to write, but I had this one already five chapters in advance, kinda hard to rework the entire thing at this point. But I'm glad you love it so far…hmm, Lindholm…now there's an idea.**

**Justjustin3099: If you're referring to Reinhardt, yea I see what you mean, the whole knight theme. But, we've already got one hammer-wielder. And while he still has that theme of a knight, I figured a hybrid of a support and tank was better suited, hence; Brigitte. **

**Josh Spicer: Indeed he is, though, I think the phrase 'Hammer Down' was best suited for Nora. Hence, I based his character off Brigitte. Well, you got bits of it right, most will try, some subtle, others not so much. I do plan to keep him as close to the original as I can. Hell, I only changed his family and a little something that's coming in later a chapter.**

**Thereichfulgerman: I know what you mean, hell I enjoy reading a story like that from time to time, but it does get stale after the seventh story where Jaune's sisters are just too strong to be believable. There won't be any OP characters I assure you…the overprotectiveness, yes, that'll be here. But NO godly powers here. **

**Dark White Fang; I'm sure there is, actually I'm sure I've read a few with Jaune using Crocea Mors, but for the life of me I can't recall them. Kinda lost track after reading so many fics where he uses a variety of weapons. **

**Iron-slayer-dragon; I suppose you can look at it that way, the squires of the same crusader, alike in almost every aspect save for the obvious , and some other personality traits I plan to throw in. Hmm, could've made 'em fraternal twins, but a little late now. **

**Cool anon (guest): thanks, glad you find it interesting. **


	3. They Know

Silence. Aside from the metallic tinkering of the architect adjusting a new prosthetic arm and the occasional awkward breathing from those present, the med bay remained eerily silent. The blond leader of the newly formed team JNPR remained obediently still, though his eyes wandered to the three guests constantly reminding him of the hot water he was in with each passing minute. No words were necessary; their presence alone sent a pretty strong message. The one with the rancher hat, his uncle, held a neutral and occasional grin; nothing new there. He was mad, no doubt of that, but his anger was reserved. Lacroix was more or less calm, judging by the way she kept her focus on the woman currently reconnecting a new prosthetic to the boy. On that note, it was no question this woman was the reason for the prolonged silence. It was for the best, had anyone spoken; there was a chance she would've blown up. Their arrival came as no surprise; Jaune was warned beforehand these two were the closest to Vale. He had hoped there would be more time before having to see these two again, but he didn't anticipate the initiation to be broadcast live.

If his scroll was still intact, he was guessing he'd receive a text from Olivia, she was the only one from the family that had his number. But, as with whatever bits of his arm recovered; it was probably junk now.

_*click*_

He felt a slight sliver of pain, and it showed each time he winced with each gear locked in place. Normally, his mechanic would be the one to reattach his arm, or he'd sometimes do it himself. However, his mechanic was still in his hometown, maybe on her way to also give him a good lecture, and the woman currently working on it didn't even let him reach for the equipment. Rather, the moment he reached for the arm, all she had to do was stare him down, no words necessary.

_*click*_

And so, none of the four had spoken a word.

"So…" Until the boy's uncle cleared his throat and spoke up. "You're a student now." His shit-eating grin returned. The icy tension grew thicker, more so from the woman working on his arm. The other bit came from his godmother glaring down at him, clearly irritated being reminded of what her godson had gotten into. "Leader of your own team, partnered with an interesting red-head. I swear she reminds me of someone I know…Ol' Rein?" That last bit came out lightly hushed, but it was easily heard. But with each word he spoke, every event recounted only reinforced these women's resolve to deliver divine punishment. "And all of this happened with you runnin away with no note for your dear ol' family."

"For the love of Oum, why?!" The blond hissed again, feeling a certain connection to his nervous system that sent jolts of pain coursing through his body. A small stream of tears ran down his cheeks as he glared at his aunt. "I told you to warn me when connecting that part." He groaned out, the woman responded with her own faint glare before turning her attention back to her work, apparently set on giving him the silent treatment for who knows how long.

"That reminds me, how is the old crusader's other protégé been?" Amelie recounted, "Brigitte, was it?"

"Moved to Zurich a few months back, said she wanted to be closer to Rein and her best customer." His eyes fell on the blond for a moment. "Last I remember you two were as thick as thieves." Jesse chimed in. "Satis' still got some baby pics of you kids in those little Hallows eve outf-" The aforementioned woman elbowed the cowboy hard enough to silence whatever piece he wished to speak. All the while maintaining her calm composure, but failing to contain a faint blush.

"So does Lacroix." She murmured, the two men's eyes snapped to the aforementioned sniper. Though, the woman showed no visibly recoil to this revelation. Rather, she reached for her scroll from Oum knows where and showed them her background photo. There, in all their baby fat selves, were three of the youngest of their family. The blond was the youngest of the three, dressed in a light blue bunny costume and chewing on a plastic pumpkin. He sat on the lap of the eldest of the three; the girl was dressed as a crusader, holding the blond while her free hand was desperately clinging to the second eldest as she seemingly struggled to scurry away. The second eldest of the three, the little diva as she was known, was dressed as what she called a mecha suit. Though, when looking at her attire, it was a crudely adjusted set of boxes with makeshift tubes to act as turret-arms.

Jaune blushed, covering the embarrassed expression on his face as he remembered the many photos this woman took and saved throughout the year. All of which were enough to break any person down.

Jesse's grin grew as he leaned in. "Well, look at that; Jauney's first Hallows eve…heh, I remember the look on Angela's face when we came home that night…she was pissed." He shuddered remembering a less than pleasant end to the night.

"Because you took her two year old son out to gather sweets, came home two hours after curfew, and not once responded to her messages." Sati listed off, if one listened closely, there might've been an ounce of amusement in her tone.

"If I recall correctly you were with him the whole night. Shouldn't you have informed Angela if Jesse did not, Satya?" Amelie dryly added, her eyes glued to her scroll as she walked down a nostalgic lane with her photographs. Most of which were of her with who the blond remembered to be her late husband; his godfather. Some of a few of his other siblings and him, and some of Amelie and her old team.

Sati shrugged, her eyes narrowed at Jaune once more. "I was busy watching over three other infants, and an overgrown man-child. This little one was easier to deal with as a baby. Now, he's still a baby, but with unbelievable stupidity."

"I love you too, auntie Sati." Jaune mumbled, half annoyed and half exhausted. At the very least he felt relieved after the connection that sent a shivering pain coursing through his body signified the end of any other excruciating moments.

She gave no response, instead choosing to continue her work. Though, her attitude was less harsh than when she first arrived. She was still mad at him, he knew that much, but seeing her with a less murderous intent gave him peace of mind.

McCree leaned back, his eyes wandering first around the medbay, then towards a window overlooking a section of the campus courtyard. The sounds of students going about their day, chatting with one another and the occasional brawl; it brought back many memories for the aging cowboy. "Man, been too long since I first walked these halls myself. Twenty years; flies in the blink of an eye." He commented, earning a faint warning from both Lacroix and Sati, all the while gaining the curiosity of the blond. And yet, regardless of the threatening glares from the two women, he continued on with his attention focused on the students in the courtyard. "Things were simpler then; we knew who the bad guys were, we fought 'em, and we did what was right." A smile graced his lips as he eyed the many students passing by; their only worries were not failing classes, maybe getting a date, and staying conscious in Port's class.

"What happened?" A common question to ask under the circumstance, but judging by the glares his aunts were sending his uncle's way, the man would be treading dangerous waters should he continue his reminiscing. Which only made Jaune all the more curious as to what exactly they were intent on hiding.

Jesse sighed heavily; his shoulders sagged for a moment before stiffening. His eyes refocused on the statue, the figures depicted were long since deceased, but their stories continued being told, inspiring the countless generations that heard their tales. However, only a fair few have ever heard the stories in their entirety; the true story. None of the 'heroes' were ever truly saints, but they did what needed to be done, knowing full well the costs. That's what made them heroes…or, that's how it should be. "Life, son. Life threw reality straight at us with the force of a freight train. People we thought we could trust turned their backs on us, our friends dying left and right with no end in sight…" His voice hardened as a plethora of faces flashed before his eyes.

"McCree." Lacroix snarled her last warning for him to stop, if her hand snaking towards her sidearm was of any indication.

"…And you do everything in your power to save everyone; to be the hero. What does it get you?"

"Jesse." Satya's warning was less threatening, and more a mix of anger, but with fear as well as she noticed Lacroix's wandering hands.

"Well, I'll tell you what, play the perfect boy scout and it'll get ya right on the Valen council. Don't? There'll always be someone willing to put you six feet under for not playing the same beat." Without warning McCree was spun faster than he had time to register the nails digging into his shoulder, Lacroix griped the collar of his cloth with a free, seething with rage. Her self-control kept her physical anger in check, but only for so long. McCree was treading on a subject their family agreed to leave alone, never to be brought up, especially amongst the young ones. "Ain't that right, Am? Just do your job, protect your own, and fuck the rest of the world. Ain't that what you told me? How's Mondatta by the way?" His smug grin only served to further infuriate the markswoman.

It only took the woman one second to draw her firearm, aiming it directly beneath the man's jaw. And while Jaune nearly jumped from his cot, Satya kept a forceful hand on his chest. While she did appear worried at the sudden turn of events, she made no effort to intervene. Even when she noticed Jesse's revolver barrel nudged comfortably against Lacroix's stomach.

Amelie scoffed, smirking back at the cowboy. "Funny you should ask, how's Ashir Kahn? I hear his daughter is very much like him. Think she'll follow in his footsteps?"

Those names were recognizable, almost instantly; one, a prominent White Fang supporter found dead in his home; an assassination. Messy, done with as much malice as one would expect towards a backer of a terrorist group. And the other, a Faunus monk promoting the ideals of peaceful coexistence, sniped while giving a speech at a rally in Atlas. Many say the attack was done by extremist Fang members unwilling to accept a Remnant with humans, the Atlesian military had kept details to a minimum. The only key element was the sighting of a possible sniper dangling off the side of a building, similarly to a spider. Suffice to say, the implications were quite clear, and Jaune was having a hard time being in the room with two family members aiming their firearms at one another while the only sane one of the three was more focused on his prosthetic than the two adults before her.

These stories were nothing new to the blond; he knew the line of work these two partook in. But, if there was one constant in his family, it was the divide in what one half felt was morally right, whilst the other believed in the best logical outcome. He fell on neither spectrum, but he understood their arguments too. However, no back-n-forth had ever reached the point where weapons were drawn. Usually there was a stare down or a small brawl to get it out of their system, but nothing like this.

There was a lasting silence between the two before, simultaneously, they lowered their pistols, glared at one another once more before their expressions anger softened, McCree chuckling dryly as Amelie's glare dissipated rather quickly. It was only for a few seconds before they holstered their weapons, with Lacroix fixing McCree's collar.

Jaune released a sigh he didn't know he'd been holding. This went farther than he'd ever seen before, but for them it seemed so natural. The blond knew full well most of his family had done jobs they weren't particularly proud of, Amelie and Jesse were two such individuals who almost always came out swinging, neither side winning, but they sure as hell got a kick out of it once the dust settled. Still, this situation was almost always a rarity considering his family knew better than to press buttons intentionally, unless you were looking for a brawl. And those stories are for another day. Instead, Jaune decided to switch up the conversation before the two had a chance to actually test each other's patience. Again.

"So, uncle Jesse, you were a student here? How'd that happen, 'nd why now mention it?"

McCree's smile felt whole-hearted this time around, no longer with malice or contempt. Reaching into his armor and retrieving a folded piece of paper. Ignoring the curious glint from Satya, he unfolded the piece of parchment and handed it over to the boy. "Just don't let your mom know I was the one who showed you this, m'kay?" When Jaune nodded, he received the item, his eyes widening when his eyes landed on the folded photograph. In it was a slightly younger version of his uncle, still with that ridiculous hat too. Beside him was another of his uncles, one that her rarely saw, but remembered clear as day. His katana strapped to his back, jet black hair, and near entire mechanical body was a dead giveaway. Moving on, he saw a woman with white hair and bright crimson eyes, bearing a western getup similar to Jesse, and wearing a ridiculous rancher hat as well. The kicker was the last member, he recognized her instantly; his mother. At the bottom of the photograph was what he assumed to be their team name; MSZC. (Music)

"That brings back memories." To Jaune's surprise, Amelie leaned in to get a better view of the photograph. Her expression was neutral, thankfully. However, Satya kept her attention focused on the last steps of the arm, the last few whirls indicating the completion of her work. "Where is Genji nowadays?"

"Shambali Monastery, in Mistral." McCree responded, sitting at the foot of the cot. "Talked to 'em recently, said he'd keep his eye open for our little runaway." Jaune winced again, not for any gear adjusting, rather at the triggering of a memory of this particular individual training him in the art of stealth. Safe to say; Jaune was not the best of students. And the few sessions they had left a few scars, most of which was the boy never being able to take surprises all that well anymore.

"And Calcedonia?" Now that was dangerous territory, if Satya's grip on her tool and Jaune's pained hissing was anything to go by. Though, Lacroix didn't seem to care what waters she was treading. Now there was a hint of a challenge here, but towards who was perhaps the more interesting idea.

The old cowboy brought a finger to his chin, scratching the base of his beard before replying. "Dunno, haven't seen or heard from her since the Dawn job."

"You mean when she abandoned her team." The architect murmured, snapping the last piece into place before the blond's arm lit up. He flexed the fingers, slowly moving his arm about. "This arm is outfitted for day-to-day activities." She leaned closer, her eyes narrowing at the blond. "That means; no combat." Her voice was calm, but with a promise of pain should he not heed her words.

As Jaune nodded, his aunt began gathering her supplies, knowing full well the man heard her comments. And when the blond expected the old gruff to respond in defense of his old teammate; McCree didn't. "Yea, when she abandoned us." Oddly enough, he started rubbing his own prosthetic, almost like the memory of the woman was related to his lost limb.

Jaune looked over the design of his prosthetic, similar to Satya's, but with a few minor adjustments made; the slot for a scroll to be attached to his wrist was lovely addition, as was the holographic projector in his arm's palm.

"Will there ever be a time or place you guys don't try to kill each other?" He had to ask, he'd done so before, and each time he received the same answer.

"Maybe, just not today." The two responded before Satya sighed, rubbing the bridge of her nose as her eyes wandered to the screen. She winced; they were showing footage of the initiation, in particular; the part where Jaune took a hit for his partner. His partner. The very image of the girl unnerved the architect. While she didn't expect the boy to ever enter a hunter program, she at least wanted him to be assigned to a more…stable partner. The red-head was unorthodox, unpredictable, not to mention she waited till the last possible minute to intervene in her nephew's first fight against the Grimm, a moment she was indeed immensely proud of him for. But, if she had a choice in the matter, she would've chosen the Nikos girl, a famous and powerful champion from Mistral. Her achievements spoke for themselves, there wasn't much that needed to be said. The Schnee girl would've been an excellent choice as well; being the partner to an heiress of the largest dust corporation would indeed have its advantages in the long run. Then there was the Chieftain of Menagerie's daughter, recognizable from a mile away, if one had met her prior to the girl hiding away her faunus traits with a ribbon. Faunus-human relations were spiraling; with the rise of the White Fang as of recently, their partnership would've been a great advantage at campaigning for coexistence. And lastly, the silver-eyed one, the prodigy that someone managed to earn a place in Beacon. It was no surprise why she was there, but having Jaune as her partner meant they'd be able to keep an eye on her and on Ozpin should he try anything on another silver-eyed warrior.

"Umm, excuse me…" Speak of the devil. All eyes turned to the doorway where a young silver-eyed girl stood awkwardly with six other students behind her. The majority of which were the primary focuses of Satya's current thought process. Within seconds after registering they had new arrivals, Jaune sat up, a grin spread across his lips as he saw his first friend in Beacon under the doorway one second, and suddenly at his bedside after gesturing her to come in. The three adults blinked owlishly at the girl's impressive speed, two of which were silently making bets as to who they thought was faster; this one, or their little Brit in Argus.

"Jaune, you're awake!" Ruby exclaimed, a little too loud for both Satya and Jaune, but both seemed not too bothered by it.

Jaune glanced to his body for a moment before smiling smugly at his friend. "It's gonna take a lot more than a major to keep me down, Rubes." His nickname for her earned a widened grin, and a faint sight of a blush on her cheeks. The adults definitely noticed, as did the others who entered with her. Speaking of which, upon seeing one specific red-head, Satya used all her willpower to not simply tell the miniature Reinhardt off for being so reckless. However, for now, she withheld herself in the interest of not making too much of a scene. Last thing anyone needed was another increase in tensions.

Speaking of which, said red-head approached Jaune's cot, the gloom expression on her face sent a flood of guilt washing over the blond. Remembering the state he was in, seeing the frantic state Nora was when she probably assumed he'd bitten the dust. As she stopped, just beside him, he shifted himself, moving his legs, against the many protests of those present. His legs dangled off the side of his cot as he faced his partner.

They said nothing, not yet at least. Their eyes fixed on anything but their own partner, each biting back on their own words, wondering what to say first.

"I'm sorry." Spoken in perfect sync, neither knew who apologized first. Taking his stunned silence to her advantage, Nora spoke her piece first.

"I'm sorry for not having your back when we met. And…in the last fight, I should've been paying attention…" Her eyes fell on his new prosthetic, she saw beforehand that the boy was missing an arm already, but seeing him without it, lying unconscious before her as his aura levels plummeted to almost zero; it was a haunting experience. More so with having the new combat professor glaring at her all throughout the return back to Beacon.

"Don't apologize; you did your best out there. Besides, there wasn't a chance in hell I was just gonna stand there and watch you get mauled by the major." The blond's response earned a less than assuring expression from his partner.

"What you did was incredibly foolish." Oh great, just what he needed; a lecture from the ice queen. Who knew it was so hard to resist rolling his eyes.

"I made my choice." Jaune reaffirmed, his words aimed mostly towards his partner and his godmother. "I knew the risks, and I decided the risk was worth it." His words caught many off guard, especially his next choice of words. "But, I understand what you mean; Nora, we're partners, we watch each other's backs. We don't die on each other for something so small."

"I'd prefer you not dying, period." Ruby mumbled.

Silence prevailed once more within the medbay, however, it would not last long. Within the awkward silence came wandering eyes, and with it came revelations. The first of which came from the young heiress when upon getting a better look at the woman sitting at the blond's bedside, her eyes bulged at the sight of such a legend sitting before her. And what greatly confused her was the fact that the woman was apparently working on the uncultured blond's arm, replacing it actually. Without thinking the heiress walked forward, grasping the prosthetic in her hands, marveling at the pristine state, the symmetrical design, and the tech worked into the arm to give its user an edge. This piece alone would be worth at least half a million lien, if speaking solely on the arm itself.

_*ahem*_

The heiress blinked, head slowly ascending to meet the gaze of the still bedridden blond. Her cheeks shone a bright pink hue as she unceremoniously released her grasp on his new arm. Weiss knew what possessed her to just suddenly grab the boy's hand; she was curious and wished to see the piece of art closer. However, only know did she realize her sudden invasion of his personal space would've come off as uncomfortable. Though, when she peeked at the blond, she saw no teasing grin or uncomfortable squirming. Instead, he calmly inspected his arm a moment before turning to the architect.

"Anything else I should know about?" Jaune flexed his arm a few times before punching the air a few times.

"Aside from; no combat." Those words dripped with as much ice as an Atlesian winter. Enough to cause the boy to freeze in place, laughing awkwardly whilst rubbing the back of his head. She sighed, smiling faintly at him while packing up her tools. "You're all set. I will send an arm fit for combat as soon as I can."

"Right, thanks again auntie Sati." And that was the sentence that broke the heiress. It was one thing if the blond knew who this woman was through some form of connections; however he might've obtained them. She had a hard enough time rejecting the notion that this blond was in any way related to the infamous Angela Ziegler, one of Beacon's most prominent alumni, and Atlas' highly renowned doctor. The surname was simply a coincidence, that's what she kept telling herself. But with this new revelation, she found her resolve crumbling with each passing second.

The woman nodded, gathering the last of her things before narrowing a neutral stare at him. "After you've had a decent rest, you will pack your belongings and board a bullhead with us; we will be returning home immediately." The blond's eyes had never shown more fear that what the woman saw in him with her sudden declaration. The two adults showed more confusion than anything, whilst the students present were bulge-eyed, the boy's partner in particular was immensely confused at this sudden turn of events.

Though, for Jaune, this demand was what he feared the most. With Satya's resources and influence, she could pull enough strings to get him removed from Beacon. That was one thing he feared about the members of his family; some had money, others possessed power, few had both. Satya was one of the few to possess both. He knew he wouldn't be able to hide forever, but he held on to the hope that he'd be able to find a way to convince his family to allow him to remain in Beacon. All he wanted was time, but it appears that Oum did not favor him this time around. But, he already had his goal; his determination to press forward was what kept him from buckling under and giving in. Childish it would appear, but he wasn't planning to go home without a fight. No, not a home, that place he grew up in. It wasn't a home to him, it was a prison, and if his mother had her way; she would keep him there, trapped in that pseudo-town for the rest of his life. His brows furrowed, the fear in his eyes had dissipated completely, replaced with fury and determination.

Satya, once seeing the effects of her words settle in, chose to relent. She knew as well how the boy lived, his limited interactions with the people in his hometown, the constant eyes following him and reporting back to his mother should there be any indication of trouble. Of course, the architect also understood why her old friend chose to behave in such a way, the information and power the good doctor held would place both her and her son in constant danger. But even so…

"…is what I would've said had I found you before you passed initiation. However…I cannot remove you from this academy, regardless of my influence. In the interest of not stirring problems with Ozpin and after getting an earful from your mother…" She groaned, gently caressing her ear after having a rather long conversation with the good doctor regarding the inability to pull the boy from Beacon. Amelie smirked, faintly, thankful she wasn't on the receiving end this time around. Jesse chuckled, as he did when he was beside Satya as she told Angela she couldn't bring her son home. "…we've agreed to postpone your punishment for a later day."

"Punishment?" The collective thought of the students around the cot, yet only Ruby found it in her to voice her thoughts. And like those around her; she was worried over what Jaune had done to be warranted a punishment from his own family.

Satya's eyes spared the young leader a faint acknowledgement before returning to her nephew. She said nothing, primarily because this was none of their business. This was a family matter, and it would be resolved amongst their kin. Jaune seemingly agreed, given he gave no response to her question, rather, he gestured her not to interfere. Or, that was what Satya interpreted.

"Don't worry about it Rubes, it's nothing." Then again, it seems the two were of the same mind. Granted, Satya would've phrased it to sound harsher, to get the point across. But given her nephew would have to spend the majority of four years around these children, it made sense to cease their curiosity gently…however tedious it may have sounded to the woman.

"The hell it is!" Nora nearly shouted, her emotions shifting between anger and a small tangent of fear. To why she felt the latter was unknown to the architect, but the former was completely unwarranted. What occurred in her family was none of these children's concerns.

She remained silent, watching her nephew to see how he would handle his partner and his team. "Nora, i told you; it's nothing, leave it alone." His tone was firm, with enough authority to indicate this conversation would not go farther, no matter how hard she pushed. The red-head's current emotions indicated she was conflicted over whether to interrogate her teammate or relent. After a moment of debating, she did the former; though she was not intending to leave the conversation as it is.

"Well, this is nice and all…" Attention turned to the cowboy as he took a few steps towards the cot. "But we've got a bullhead to catch, gotta meet with a certain doctor before she decides to hijack a ride over here." The man stopped in front of his nephew, ruffling the top of the boy's hair with a widened grin. "I'm still mad, don't get me wrong. And once the fires settled down; your mother mostly, you and I are gonna have a long sit down." With Jaune's small whining and his swatting of the man's hand off his head, McCree's smile shifted. Still there, only more somber. "The way you carried yourself in the initiation was everything I expected from you, and when you pulled that little stunt even when you knew the risks…not gonna lie, I would've done the same in your shoes." Jesse ignored the irritated stares coming from the two women standing beside the cot with him. "My point being; I'm proud of you." His praise earned a tint of pink across the boy's cheeks.

"Thanks, uncle Jesse." Jaune mumbled, knowing full well the man was probably smiling wolfishly at his embarrassment. A pair of hands grasped the blond's cheeks, turning him to face his aunt as she placed a gentle kiss on his forehead.

"We won't interfere with your education…" Satya's gentle expression hardened. "But I expect a call, twice a week. No less." Before Jaune could remind her of the state of his scroll his uncle reaches his clothing, retrieving an interestingly designed scroll. "A Vaswani scroll, the latest design. I've placed Jesse and my numbers on it, so there's no excuse for you not to call."

"You're spoiling him, Sati." McCree teased. "Thought you were mad."

The architect shrugged. "I am." A rare smirk graced her lips as she teasingly pinched her nephew's cheeks. "But I still want the best for my little bun-bun." The second that nickname resurface, the blond's mind nearly shut down entirely, grinding to a complete halt as his godmother had a smug grin on her lips and McCree was chuckling to himself.

The students around him were attempting their hardest to subdue their giggles, especially when the blond boy was shining a shade of red that would put Ruby's cape to shame. "Auntie, why?" He mumbled, attempting to hide away beneath the covers of his cot. The woman was never this openly affectionate, especially around other people. This was either her simply ignoring that the other Beacon students in the room existed or this was her version of a punishment for him. Regardless, it was damn well effective, as he noticed Yang mirroring his uncle's wolfish grin. Nora was grinning, ear to ear, that in itself was off-putting already. Blake was stifling whatever amusement she found in this back and forth, though the light shade of pink across her cheeks gave much away.

Wasting no further time, Satya and Jesse bid their runaway nephew farewell before making their way out with Lacroix guiding them. All the while, the young heiress watched the entire exchange silently. She felt conflicted that it took her a bit to recognize the woman who literally designed and built most of modern Atlas. But, to hear that the woman's nephew was attending her school and the same rude blonde from the locker room as well left her with a whirlpool of emotions. On top of that little piece of information, now knowing his surname, she felt a pulsating pain in her head growing as her mind was slowly giving in to the idea of him being doctor Ziegler's flesh and blood.

"So, Jaune…" It was Pyrrha who broke the silence. "I'm assuming you're surname gives us an idea as to who your mother is, correct?" Her tone was, oddly enough, bashful and with childish curiosity. Yes, his name should've been a dead giveaway as to who his mother is. But, he wasn't naïve to assume only the two of them bared the name Ziegler in all of Remnant.

Jaune sighed, realizing almost instantly he still held on to his uncle's photograph. Carefully, he folded the parchment and hid it away. This did not go unnoticed, as two pairs of eyes noticed, but chose to say nothing for the time being. "Yea." He responded, almost hastily. "My mother is Angela Ziegler; the merciful angel to the people and a bane to Atlas' 'stick-up-his-arse' General Ironwood." Jaune didn't miss the slight twitch in the heiress' brow when he described her kingdom's military head in such a way.

Almost as if a switch had been hit, Pyrrha's eyes widened, thinking back to stories her own mother once told her. Years ago, before her birth, there was a huntress from Beacon with a healing semblance, a rarity in itself, but the woman herself was something else. When soldiers and hunters pushed forward, she was there alongside them, fighting on equal grounds. And when the dust settled, she would scatter across the battlefield, healing any and all who needed her. But these were not entirely what made her famous, there was a rumor the old soldiers spoke of that garnered her the name 'Angel', and caught the attention of the ever opportunistic Ironwood; dead men coming back to life. It was a rumor to be sure, and no one had ever been able to confirm whether or not Ziegler could actually resurrect the dead considering she had never attempted it openly. Of course, that could've been because the eyes of the world's governments were hovering over her shoulders, expecting her to prove the rumors either correct or exaggerated. If proven the latter, she would've still been kept close as a healing semblance gave quite the advantage in a battle. Though, if the former was proven true, the woman would've disappeared a long time ago.

However, even throughout the many monikers she'd been given throughout the years, the majority of those who remember the doctor still referred to her by her Beacon call sign.

"Mercy." Blake blinked owlishly when she realized she had spoken aloud.

"Yea…" Jaune confirmed. "That was my mom's call sign…"

An awkward silence befell the small group, until Ruby tried her hand at breaking the tension.

"So, your uncle seems nice…but why does he wear a blanket around his neck? Seems kinda extra, don't you think?" At this, Jaune chuckled, though; this only received a pout from the curious prodigy.

"This coming from the girl who wears capes?" He teased, increasing the young one's pout and added a tint of pink across her cheeks.

Ignoring her adorably angry expression, Jaune turned his attention to his new scroll. It had the emblem of his aunt's company, and it came with a detachable earpiece. And to top it off; the scroll was able to snuggly attach to his prosthetic's wrist, much like his previous ensemble.

But before he could explore his new device, a small breeze made it unbearable clear that he was wearing only a hospital gown. A massive blush painted itself across his face as he avoided any eye contact, mumbling quietly to himself.

"Jaune, you ok?" Ruby leaned in, wondering why it was her friend had suddenly become so bashful. And when seeing his beet red face, it made her worry even more.

He murmured again, with few words being picked up.

"Gotta speak up fearless leader."

Again, he muttered, though, no words were decipherable. Having little patience for such nonsense, the heiress pushed Ruby aside and leaned closer to the boy. "For goodness sakes, what are you a child? Speak up." She demanded outright. And where she expected a snide remark, or an irritated expression from him, she instead received an even redder blush, somehow possible, and his eyes barely able to meet hers.

"Can you guys get me some cloths, I'm kinda of…bare here."

And just like that, with only a second of response time, the entirety of the group grew red bushes of their own, to different degrees and for several reasons. Ren sighed, having stayed quiet the entire time, stood forward after reaching into his bag. He pulled out a Beacon Uniform that appeared a little too small for the blond.

"Here, it's a spare I carry around in case Nora gets…ideas with syrup again." He spoke from experience, and Jaune knew he'd be relating to his teammate in their next four years together. Peachy. "It's a little small for someone with your build, sorry." His words held in them genuine sympathy.

Even so, it was better than what he currently had now. The blond accepted the clothing, thanking his teammate before sitting in silence. The others looked at him confusingly, some with blushes still apparent on their faces. It didn't take long for Jaune to grow visibly with each passing second. Taking a deep breath, he calmed himself and kept his eyes on his cloths. "I'd like to get changed now."

There was no need to repeat himself, Weiss was quick to remove herself from the room, her pale skin had become a deep shade of crimson as she trailed off. Ruby following closely behind while her and Blake dragged the blonde brawler who was insisting on assisting the injured boy get dressed, all of which spoken with a playfully sultry tone. This only garnered incoherent sputtering from her sister, and an even harder tug from her current partner. Pyrrha seemingly hesitated a bit before reluctantly leaving with Ren behind her. Though, when he turned to greet Nora who should've been close behind, instead the bubbly bomber had taken a seat at Jaune's bedside.

She gave Ren a widened smile, though only he knew there was something behind that grin of hers that would mean a rough time for his team leader. "Nora?" He hoped whatever she had planned could be postponed until their leader was decent, but she appeared cemented in her decision to stay.

"Go on ahead; I wanna have a little talk with my partner." That did not go unnoticed; the way she spoke through gritted teeth was a foreshadowing that whatever came next would be personal. And while Ren wanted to stay for this bit, he instead chose to trust in his childhood friend, nodded, and proceeded to close the door on his way out.

Jaune also picked up in her change of tone. Suffice to say, not only did he feel vulnerable due to the lack of clothing and a non-combat prosthetic, the blond also felt a rather long dive into certain subjects he'd rather not divulge just yet.

Once the two were alone, Jaune could feel his partner's cold stare aimed his way. Their conversation earlier might've been interrupted by Ruby, but the exchange between him and his family, with the promise of some form of punishment, left the two with much to discuss. Or not, Jaune didn't feel as though he needed to explain his actions any more than what he conveyed earlier.

Knowing this was one lecture he wouldn't be able to escape, Jaune rose from his cot, gestured his hand towards her; a small plead for assistance. Without hesitation, Nora grasped his arm, gently helping him rise from his cot; slowly and carefully. For a moment, the red-head froze, her eyes fixed on her partner's arms; scars, old and new riddling his arms, extending up to his shoulders and possibly further into his body.

"Mind turning around?" He asked, just as his hands were untying the string that kept his gown from exposing anymore skin. Reddened by her partner not even waiting before beginning to undress, she turned away in an instant. When she heard the gown flop to the floor, the bubbly bomber felt a tinging curiosity nudging her to take a peak. But it wasn't for what most would think, rather, she wanted to see to what degree his scars made up the surface of his body.

However, she had more self-control than that, she remained firm and kept her eyes forward. Only after a few minutes of shuffling and a tired groan did she receive the OK to turn around. When she did, Nora was met with a sight that greatly amused her. Jaune had managed to fit into the pants; it was a one size fits all, though that depended on certain students of course. Although, from what she could see, the white shirt was tightly hugging his frame, with a few of the upper buttons open as he was unable to close them. The blazer was left on the cot, the blond showed no intention of using it.

She smirked; a faint chortle escaped her lips as she turned her head away.

"It's not funny." Jaune growled, moving his arm, causing a tearing sound to echo in the medbay. The tear wasn't noticeable, just under the shirt's left arm, but it did not stop Nora from grinning at him from ear to ear. "Not a word."

She sat on the cot, regaining her composure. Her arms crossed as her eyes once again narrowed at her partner. A plethora of questions were swarming in her head, at the top of the list was finding out why Jaune's family had some punishment for him. It bothered, and immensely worried her, that her partner was probably involved in something dangerous. But, judging by his earlier attitude she felt as though trying to open up that can of worms would only force the blond to close doors again. Instead, she decided to save that topic for later, choosing instead to earn his trust rather than force it. So, she quickly switched the discuss to their first topic.

"Ice queen is right; you're an idiot." She commented, leaving no room for subtlety.

"Thanks partner." He mimicked the accent of an old western, probably got it from his uncle, she assumed.

"We were almost out; you didn't need to take a hit for me."

"No, I didn't. But if I hadn't; you'd be on this cot instead of me. Given by the way that major attacked me; you'd be the one being fitted for a prosthetic, not me." That was a memory she didn't need to be reminded of. "And lemme tell ya, the surgery ain't exactly a picnic. It's hell, every gear and wire being attached to your body...it's not an easy thing to go through for anyone."

"Why are you so calm about it?" She referred to his arm, the way he seemed so at ease with talking about losing his prosthetic in a fight recently and making jokes about it.

"I lost my arm long ago; I've come to terms with it already. Can't say it was easy, rehabilitation was a bitch, not to mention modifying the arm and socket to match those of a growing boy's body meant constant maintenance. The surgeries were brutal, but I got used to it as time went on." He was infuriating her, the nonchalant way he described his life. But then, maybe there was something she was missing. "My point is, Nora, I'm no stranger to pain. I can take the hits." That right there was a major red flag, especially with the exchange between him and his family earlier. So many ideas were swarming in her brain, all threatening to burst at any second. Although, a feeling within that mass of emotions was one particular sentiment that was rising above all others; a maternal instinct, if you will.

"We're partners." She forced through her grinding teeth, eyes locked on to the blond as her hand shot forward, gripping his shirt with a vice grip. "And I ain't letting you die on me so easily." Her emotions were conflicting again, Nora's expression softened, and her optimistic nature pushing past her stern attitude. It was rare for the latter to be above the former, but her partner's careless attitude over his reckless nature was eating at her. And so, she opted for to change the mood of the current atmosphere to something more light-hearted. Oum knows her leader didn't need another person mad at him…openly. "We still have stories to make, you know? So don't go anything like that again…or I'll break your legs."

A pregnant silence followed, which was ended by both sharing in a fond laughter, all the while Nora held back her need to reply to his sudden dismissal of her maybe/maybe-not threat. '_Bold of you to assume I won't do it, fearless leader.' _She bit back the words, managing this once to not speak out her little remark.

Like that, his expression softened as well. He wasn't naïve to assume this discussion was over, but the fact she attempted to simmer things down meant she rightly assumed things might've gotten out of hand between them. An interesting partner he found himself; hyperactive and unpredictable when in the field. Yet, when under circumstances like now, she shows complete control of both her emotions, and clear understanding of the current mood.

'Also, we gotta catch you up; you missed three days of school."

Jaune's eyes bulged, his head snapped back and forth between the screen and his partner. Seeing his confused expression and his incoherent rambling whilst pointing to the screen gave her a clear idea as to what was confusing him.

"Oh that, the news has been replaying this year's initiation test since that little stunt you pulled…everyone's still talking about it too, not every day we get a healer for a hunter."

After soaking in the realization that he'd been out for three days, Jaune managed to find it in himself to chuckle at the idea that folks were beginning to see him as the 'healer'. Something about that reminded him of a particular phrase he heard growing up, one that easily triggered his mother into a seemingly unrestrained state of rage. Funny enough, it was his uncle Genji who received the worst reaction. "My mom's semblance is closer to healing, mine's a little different." He commented, rolling up the sleeve for his left arm, attaching his new scroll to his prosthetic's slot.

*ding*

The chime to Jaune's scroll rang just as he was finished setting it up to his wrist's holographic projection. Opening his scroll, the boy flinches upon seeing from who the text came from. Curiosity piqued by her partner's reaction to receiving a text, Nora leans in to peak at the caller id.

_Reinhardt_

An Atlesian name, possibly from the northern sects of the kingdom, and one Nora could've sworn she had heard before. Just then, more and more messages started pouring in, and with each message the boy grew pale. The red-head could not fathom why all these sudden messages were putting the boy on edge. Seeing him so distressed made her uneasy, the maternal side of her was kicking in again. Whoever it was putting her fearless leader in such a state, she silently swore painful, leg-breaking, justice.

* * *

**-5 Minutes Earlier-**

As their walk towards a Vacuon styled bullhead at the Beacon docks drew to an end, both Lacroix and the architect noticed the mischievous glint on the cowboy. Neither seemed interested in delving into whatever mischief the man had concocted to keep himself entertained. The two women chose to leave him be, instead focusing on what exactly to say to the good doctor once she decides to come retrieve her son on her own. Both knew Angela well enough to know that the doctor wouldn't wait too long.

*ding*

Both their scrolls went off at the exact same time. Taking a glance at the caller id, both turned their heads to the source of the text; McCree. With both their expressions demanding an answer, to which the cowboy showed off his scroll to the women.

_Group chat:_

_McCree; Hey ya'll, now I'm sure some of you have seen Beacon's recent initiation. Now, our little bun-bun is safe n sound, no worries there. But if anyone wants…(Jaune's new scroll number), ask him yourself._

Without missing a beat, the chat was suddenly swarmed by texts from their family. Many were thanking McCree for this little update, others asking if the boy was with him. Regardless of whatever the recent texts detailed, the man's intent was done.

"Wonder who'll be the first to contact the little rascal." Jesse mumbled, ignoring the gaping expression from Satya and Amelie, both now fearing for the boy's sanity as they knew he'd be bombarded with calls from his family soon enough.

* * *

**-Nighttime, JNPR room-**

And indeed he did, for the whole damned day. Jaune spent almost every waking moment with either a chime or a vibration in his pocket indicating another message from his family. Another issue he had to deal with, aside from the persistent messaging from his kin was the onlookers who locked on to him as he traversed the campus. Some of those watching appeared, for lack of a better term, hungry when they eyed him. Others appeared annoyed with him, and he had yet to do anything notably irritating so far, or at least, nothing to irritate them.

To make matters worse, Ruby's team and Pyrrha were eyeing him every once in a while. Stealing quick glances before eventually looking away. Well, most of them averted eyes; Yang was not one to simply ignore an opportune moment to tease someone. Although, he had begun wondering if she really was winking after the third wink.

In any case, after being discharged from the medbay the head nurse was adamant about him resting for the day before attending classes the following day. And so, while his team was currently off in their 'sister' team's dorm; which was right across the hall from theirs, the blond sat idly whilst having changed out of the skin-hugging uniform and into his sleeping garments. With his scroll resting comfortably on his bed, finally silent, he had detached his prosthetic and chose to run a quick maintenance check. Also, he took the alone time he had to poke around his aunt's designs, hopefully to identify what makes this prosthetic different from a standard Atlesian design without causing any permanent damage to the tech.

"Hello, fearless leader!" Nora announced, kicking in their door with a widened grin on her face.

Though, rather than react the way a normal person usually would, Jaune instead turned his head towards his partner. "Not sure I'm feeling the whole 'fearless leader' thing Nora."

Her smile didn't falter, not even when she pressed a finger to her lips. "Well, I wouldn't mind calling you bun-bun."

"Fearless leader it is." He responded all too quickly and with enough authority to make it known that name was off-limits. And yet, something nudging at the back of his head kept gnawing at him with the implications that Nora would continue using that name regardless of whether he approved of her saying it or not. So, bracing himself for what's to come, he tries to redirect their conversation. "So what's got you all hyped up…I mean, aside from how hyped up you normally are."

Her smug grin had not ceased one iota; instead, she leaned towards him and gestured to the room across the hall. "We're all having a little get together, Yang's idea. Getting to know each other n all that." She waved her hand dismissively, obviously not interested in the whole idea of it. So what exactly had her excited over the hangout? "Let's go fearless leader."

Jaune stared blankly at his partner with the severed middle finger of his prosthetic arm. "I'm not decent." He stated, waving the finger to emphasize his point. Nora only chuckled and stood proud with her arms crossed. Even when Jaune returned his attention back to his meddling, Nora remained silently waiting. "You're not gonna take 'no' for an answer, are you?" She shook her head. "Heh, and I'm supposed to be the leader here." The blond mumbled, earning a shit-eating grin from his partner.

Just then, as Jaune placed the bits of his arm aside, intending on attending this little get together with only his good arm, a different sort of chime echoed in the room. While the blond knew it came from his phone he chose to ignore it. What he didn't take into account was the vibrant curiosity of his partner.

Nora reached towards his scroll, before he could react. And upon touching the device, the scroll came to life. "A voice message?" She asked no one in particular, without warning, or any prior action to indicate she accidentally opened the message, the device played the recording on speaker.

_Nana (Ana):_

_My child, I cannot tell you how relieved I am to know you are safe. When Angela called, I had feared the worst; that her overprotectiveness had finally run its course and drove you away. I understand why you did it; I saw how Angela's insistence to keep you safe had affected your childhood. But I am a mother as well, I know why she acted the way she did. I was there when they took you the first time, your mother was so frightened of it happening again; she chose to disappear from the world, to remain incognito to protect her only son. _

_I do not blame you, nor do I blame Angela. She is a mother, willing to do anything to protect her little one. In her shoes I would've done the same. But you are a growing child, a soon to be man, you must be allowed to venture from home, see the world, make mistakes; to learn from life. _

_Sometimes I wish I had intervened, said something to ease her fears. I wish I could've freed you from that lifestyle, to be trapped in one place all your life, never being allowed to spread your wings and attempt to fly. But nothing could have said would've alleviated her distress. She lost your father not too long after you were born, and if she had lost you as well…I cannot fathom what would become of her. She loves you, little one, more than she shows, and more than you can ever hope to understand._

_*Silence, followed by a small shift, clanking of ceramic, and a soft sniffle*_

_So please, do not hold ill will towards her, she misses you. We all do. If it is not too much to ask, for your Nana, call her. Let her know you are alright, that you are safe. She knows that already, but I feel her heart will rest easier knowing her son still loves her._

_*Silence follows once more, short, but with a slightly more noticeable sniffled heard in the background*_

_Oh, and make as many friends as you can. Do not waste this opportunity, go and make memories, return to us with stories of your own. And maybe, just maybe, bring home a special someone. _

_And feel free to call me as well, anytime you want. I will answer if I can. _

_Farewell habibatan, I hope you visit soon, I'm not getting any younger you know._

Message end

Nora was unnervingly quiet; she opened something she wasn't meant to hear. She didn't mean to open the message, but when it played her leader made no attempt to snatch the device away or demand the message be cut off. Instead, her fearless leader remained silent, and it worried her. Slowly, she glanced upwards, hoping not to find a pair of angered eyes fixed on her. What she saw only broke her heart further; she saw her partner with an endless river of tears cascading down his cheeks, and he seemed unaware of it too. At one point, his right palm reached up and wiped away the tears from his eyes, but they kept on falling. No matter how much he wiped, he could not stop crying. So instead, he stared at his partner, his eyes pleading for her to stop the aching pain that caused these tears.

That same maternal instinct finally took the reign, pushing Nora to comfort her partner. Overwhelmed with grief at seeing her partner like this, she embraced him. he was sitting on his bed, though the size of his body allowed him to rest his head on her shoulder. So he did, burying himself in his partner's embrace, he sobbed quietly, yearning for the first time; for home.

* * *

**And here's the third, more family seen, and even more incoming now that the cats out of the bag. What will happen next, well, time will tell. I will say this; Jaune's mom will appear around the time of the Vytal Festival, so there's that to look forward to. As for anyone who follows my other stories, a few new chapters will be coming soon; I just need to finish up a few more details before publishing them. Thank you all for reading, hope you enjoyed this little chapter. Until next time!**

**Response time:**

**Zenith Tempest; I see your argument, and while I agree with Ruby and Blake being better suited partners, I also see them as too easy to write. Especially with the way I have Jaune's story arc planned out. Weiss would've actually been an interesting write, given similarities that will be revealed later on. As for Nora being Jaune's partner, I intend to still have her hyperactive and unbelievably optimistic half the time, but I don't intend to have her be like that all the time, especially in moments where the plot calls for sobriety and maturity. While I don't intend to reshuffle the partners, I will keep in mind the team switching notion. And the last bit of your review; where the family uses leverage. Little spoiler; that is coming in later chapters. But for whole different reasons, i assure you.**

**Chendong2698: It is pretty fun to write so far, but there have been other stories where Jaune and Nora were partnered up. I'm hoping they're still on the site, haven't checked on them in a while. And yes, what caused Jaune to decide to be a field medic will be explained further in the story.**

**Roger9481: hmm, maybe, maybe not. Olivia's role in this isn't over, not by a long shot, I can guarantee you that. **

**Cool Anon: Yea, I wanted to switch things up, but I'm not exactly all that creative when it comes to color acronyms. Stay tuned though, I might just surprise you with a little twist. **

**Guest: You're right, but in my defense and given this community I did assume at least one person would've recognized the reference and pointed it out. I mean, I wasn't entirely subtle about it. But I do see your point. I don't intend to leave anyone in that dark when i use a reference anymore. **


	4. Memory Lane

Nearly a week passes with more and more calls from the blond's family coming in, leading to the team leader having to be absent most nights to respond to his still worried kin. His nightly disappearances were worrisome at first, mostly due to his team and friends not knowing where he would disappear to. Well, that wasn't actually true; Nora knew why and where her partner escaped off to. But for the sake of protecting his privacy, she chose to keep his location to herself. She did inform the others what exactly Jaune's reasons were for sneaking off for a small portion of the night, but to assure no one would bother him she kept his whereabouts unknown. And she didn't budge, not for intimidation or bribery. The former and latter both came in hand from Xiao Long, more of her curiosity and believing she merited that little piece of information; something about Jaune's absences worrying her baby sister.

Regardless, Nora's lips were sealed. Much to Yang and Pyrrha's annoyance.

Meanwhile, as the two teams spent another night together, the missing blond was sitting near the Beacon cliffs, speaking to someone he had feared hearing, but managed to motivate himself enough to press the call button. Safe to say, their reunion over scroll was a little less dramatic than what one would expect, but it was by far the only civil conversation he had with anyone so far.

"_And afterwards, when neither Rein nor Reeha could hold her down any longer, just one hit from my darts and Angela was out like a light."_

Jaune chuckled dryly, obviously finding the story amusing, but less so when he realized his mother's outburst was mostly his doing. "I'm sorry for putting you through all that…speaking of; how's Opa?"

"_Oh, he's fine. Complaining about his age, drinking his own body weight, and of course he's boasting to his friends at the tavern that his grandson is the leader of his team at Beacon. And he's especially happy about your partner; he says something about her feels familiar. Care to give a guess, Habibatan?"_

"Oh, I can list several examples." He muttered, the similarities weren't exactly hard to point out. His partner and his grandfather were a lot alike, and it helped when he opened up a little more to her, specifically over who it was that left that message, but not why they were relieved to know that he was safe. Jaune wasn't a fool, and neither was his partner; he assumed she could easily come up with a few ideas as to what his Nana's message meant. Although, one thing he did greatly appreciate was Nora not bringing up or continuing any discussion about his home life. She respected his privacy. "How's the reconstruction in Eichenwalde going?"

"_Better, the city is near completion but there is still resentment between the humans and faunus. So far there have been no major incidents between the townsfolk. Just the common drunken brawl…most of them caused by Rein."_

"What's Opa's opinion on all this?"

Ana hesitated, her eyes hardened before giving the boy an honest answer. _"He is still bitter, the Fauna Crisis was long ago, but the scars remain. He doesn't believe there should be integration yet, the wounds from the war are still fresh and the tension could escalate into something uncontrollable."_ She sees the boy's expression falter, as if her answer was not what he wanted to hear. As if the Great War didn't sour relations enough, the Fauna Crisis was a coordinated set of events that sparked another, albeit short, war between the humans and Faunus. It ended exactly like the cataclysm prior to it; with the Fauna faction on the losing end. Though, the Crisis took a heavier toll, if the shifting ideals of the White Fang were of any indication to how the Fanus felt having lost their second uprising. _"But, he is active in the reconstruction, helping in any way he can. Brigitte promised to fly out and assist as well, but last I heard she was talking about heading to Vale with a replacement arm in her luggage."_ She was amused, more so when she saw the blond's face pale.

"O-o-oh, I see…" Jaune stuttered, realizing quite soon he was gonna have more company on the way. "Well, it'll be nice to see her again."

"_Of course…granted she lets you live long enough to even spout out a greeting."_ Ana remarked, smirking at the boy's ever growing fear mount up. Of the two, Brigitte was closer to the version of what Reinhardt used to be; a crusader. Which meant the girl had both the strength, and the ferocity that came with her mentor's training. Jaune on the other hand was trained simply to hold his own and lug enough equipment to keep him protected whilst also carrying enough supplies to apply his mother's medical lessons in the field. Side-by-side one could easily make the mistake of assuming they were twins, if you dyed one of their hairs. However, as even with twins, there is much more beneath the surface than what can be seen.

"I'll live." His words didn't match his tone, though that was more along the lines of him unsure whether he'd be able to hold a candle against his sibling or not.

"_Yes, well, I believe it is getting late, and I know you have classes tomorrow. But before you go, I must ask; have you spoken with your mother yet?"_

"…" His silence was enough of a response for the old markswoman. She sighed, tiredly. Ana expected this, though she wouldn't deny she hoped he would've at least attempted. "…I haven't gotten around to it, but I will. I promise, Nana." His promise did not reassure her, but for the moment it was the most she knew she'd get out of him. So, she accepted it, nodding slightly while sipping on a small teacup.

"_Alright, but do not linger. Your mother can only be restrained for so long. And I do not intend to entertain this further, the moment Angela suddenly gets the bright idea to go after you herself, I will only be an observer at that point. You take care now, Habibatan." _

"I will, goodnight, Nana." The blond closed his scroll, leaning his head back against an old tree as his eyes drifted to the heavens above him.

It was a clear sky, and the moon in its shattered entirety was on full display. A beautiful sight, and one he was privy to for years back in his old home; gazing out his home's window at an ever-changing world while he remained trapped due to his mother's fear of the past. Her idea of being safe meant he had little to no freedom, his every move was being watched, and all hell would break loose if he even forgot to check-in with her if he went anywhere different. And it was always more than just a scolding, often times he wouldn't be able to leave his home, only for school and that was it.

Now, when he gazed at the moon, outside of his cage, it was somehow all the more beautiful. He couldn't describe it properly, but he enjoyed his newfound freedom. Which left him with his biggest concern; his mother. The woman was nothing if not overprotective and absurdly stubborn. He assumed if he called her she'd only ramble on about how childish his actions were, she wouldn't even let him get a word in edgewise. Not to mention she would berate him mercilessly over how foolish he was for applying to a school run by Ozpin.

Which served another question; why was it his mother hated Ozpin? Yes she detested him. Called the Beacon headmaster a plethora of colorful names he wasn't exactly tempted to repeat, much less aloud. Still, any time he asked for details, no one gave him a clear answer; they just merely parroted his mother's words back at him. Speaking of unclear answers…

*Ding*

His scroll broke his train of thought; he glanced towards the opened screen, the image of a purple skull took precedent as his device's background. Knowing he'd be out for a bit longer than he wanted, the blond got comfortable once more as he answered the hacker's call.

* * *

**-JNPR Dorm-**

Currently, within team JNPR's dorm room were the aforementioned team members and their sister team, minus a blond leader. Nora and Yang were playing some game on their scrolls, with Weiss and Pyrrha having a rather lengthy conversation over their classes, mainly the ones that didn't have a boasting, pompous blowhard who does nothing but speak of his past triumphs. Ren and Blake sat quietly away from their respective teammates, choosing to read quietly instead of participating in the group's activities. The only member currently outwardly worried was the leader of team RWBY, if her consistent pacing around the room was of any indication.

When Nora told them of Jaune sneaking out past curfew to have conversations with relatives it seemed harmless enough, but it raised a valid question; why do it in secrecy? A popular little theory amongst the group was that a perhaps some of the blond's family were ones not exactly in the government's favor, hence the need for secrecy. Weiss was quick to rule the theory as absolute, and she remained adamant on her beliefs, much to the annoyance of the blond's partner.

*click*

Ruby froze in place, all eyes snapped to the door as it opened and a familiar face walked through. For Jaune, this was a night he wanted to end with him taking a quick shower and just collapse unto his bed. However, upon entering his dorm he quickly finds seven pair of eyes locked on to him just as he closed the door. Like Ruby, he froze in place, staring awkwardly at the added company before waving awkwardly and heading for a cabinet that contained his sleepwear.

Just taking a few steps inside and he finds his path blocked by a flurry of roses and a fellow team leader glaring, or at the very least attempting to menacingly glare, holes through him. And in her defense, she had somewhat of a right to be angry with him; sneaking out past curfew meant running the risk of getting caught by Goodwitch, or worse; Lacroix. There wouldn't even be a strike one, the first and only time he's caught; Oum have mercy.

"Hey Rubes." He greeted casually, attempting to traverse around her. Only for the silver-eyed girl to immediately block his path. He tried again, multiple times actually to walk around her, only for Ruby to cut him off. "Ok, this is the least fun game ever." He tried playing off her irritated expression with a joke; it did nothing. Actually, she appeared more pissed off just by his small attempt at a jest.

"Where were you?" She asked, her tone indicating more of a demand to know.

"Out?" Jaune wasn't exactly sure what she was hoping to find, but he wasn't exactly eager to share the full details of his little runaway stunt. Last thing he wanted was more people telling him how much of an idiot he was; he got enough of that through his family, he didn't want to hear it from the people he had to spend four years alongside.

"Family call?" Nora asked, her head peeking out from the side of the bed. When he nodded, the bubbly bomber rose up and walked over to Ruby. She leaned over and whispered something in her ear. Whatever it was, it caused the reaper's expression to shift, easing his conscious. Though, when his partner gestured him to take his shower, the blond did so as he normally would; walking over to the dresser, removing his shirt, gathering his sleepwear, and waltzed over to the bathroom, closing the door with the metallic click.

Meanwhile, the whole of the room fell silent upon what just occurred. Weiss was near the point of scowling and cringing hard, all the while sporting a reddened face similar to Ruby. Pyrrha was not nearly as red as the two, but had instinctively averted her eyes once she saw him walk towards the dresser. Blake kept her face hidden in her book, though; she was in no way reading her piece of literature after giving a small peek at her acquaintance, only to see his shirt expose a bit too much skin. Ren was not exactly reacting much, though out of curtesy he would avert his eyes as well, Nora however would just focus on her scroll, a proud grin plastered on her lips. To team JNPR this was nothing new; their leader would often partially undress in the room then finish up in the bathroom.

Yang was a bit taken back by her fellow blond's brazen attitude towards undressing in front of his teammates, and guests no less. However, what caught her attention, as she was not one to shy away from a little exposed skin, were the scars littered across the boy's chest and back. She noticed a plethora of old wounds, a fair few were possibly from fighting Grimm if the claw marks were of any indication. And yet, she found herself doing a double-take at the burn marks and the ones closely resembling blade entries. Particularly one entry that was dangerously close to a rather vital organ.

The others probably saw him beginning to strip and immediately looked away. When her head turned to her friends, hoping someone saw what she saw; Nora saw a good portion before calmly tuning her attention back to her scroll. The brawler placed her scroll down, waiting till he heard the sounds of water running before turning her head towards the bubbly bomber, whom was staring back at her curiously.

"So…he tell you how he got 'em?" Nora wasn't clueless; she had a fair idea of what Yang spoke of. But, she merely shrugged, figuring those were her fearless leader's to share, and if Xiao Long did ask; it would make a great story time. She knew already, she had asked not too long ago, earning a few short stories, some kind of mundane and boring, others a little exciting, but the two he always tensed up on; the jagged tri-claw marks on his upper right chest, and what looked like a stab wound just a few ticks near where his heart should be. The latter was the more worrisome for the red-head, as once the memories of that wound passed, her partner would play it off as something unimportant. She begged to differ, highly, but stayed quiet, respecting his choice not to share that bit of information.

"Yea." Nora responded curtly, her eyes focused back on her scroll, though she could feel Yang's eyes still fixed on her. Actually, she could feel all eyes locked onto her now. And when she gazed up, she was right; her friends were all staring at her, as if waiting for her to go further into detail. "What?"

"You're not gonna tell us, are you?" To everyone's surprise, it was the usually quiet Blake who chose to ask the question on everyone's mind.

To which Nora shrugged again, this time a faint smirk itched at the corner of her lips. "Not my place to say. You wanna know? Ask him." Was her only say in the matter before refusing to respond further. It helped that Yang's curiosity didn't peer further. Though, she could only assume it was because she intended to indeed ask the blond knight when he returned.

It only took eight minutes for the water to eventually shut off, another four for the blond to emerge, dressed in a blank armless muscle shirt, and sage shorts. A towel was wrapped around his neck as he quietly rejoined the little party. He noticed the eyes fixed on him, and it had begun to annoy him. He could only assume what they were thinking, and he wasn't sure if he wanted to go through an interrogation over where he disappeared off to. If anything, he was actually hoping to just sit on his bed and enjoy a nice reread of one of his favorite books; Ninjas of Love. Something about his discussions with Blake brought about fond memories of his first time immersing himself in that particular piece of literature. And to add to the fond nostalgia; his first encounter with the author of said book was by far one of the highlights of his youth, especially since he never expected…actually, he should've, but he wondered how he didn't piece it together sooner.

Although, he did just receive the last bits of his old arm, whatever was recovered, and he had hoped to salvage whatever tech he could. The book or salvage? As he pondered which to occupy his time with, he failed to notice his fellow blonde waving her palm in front of his face; trying to get his attention. It was only when she snapped her fingers that the boy took notice.

"Yea?" he tried not to sound too annoyed that she had snapped her fingers so blatantly close to his face.

"I think it's time we get to know each other." She announced, a few of the others nodding, Weiss excluded.

"You did that almost a week ago." He recounted, walking towards his bed. Jaune kneeled down and reached under for a small box.

"Yea but you weren't there." This time it was Ruby arguing a point. Thankfully, after his sudden break down in front of his partner, the blond decided to skip out on the get-together, Nora only nodded and left him to rest and think.

"And you waited until now to ask me?" One brow rose, questioning the logic of his team and classmates.

"Again; you aren't around much." Not much of a surprise for Ruby to stay on the point of her argument, rare though for it to actually be based in facts. The blond had indeed been off most nights, all for reasons he could disclose, vaguely but he knew it wouldn't sedate the brawler.

"Alright then…" He relented, sighing heavily as he dejectedly sat atop his bed, opening the box and retrieving his tools and severed prosthetic. "But I'm going to work on this as well, so don't rely on me too much."

"Alright, ladies and gents, group up." Yang declared proudly as the others gathered 'round, Pyrrha and Weiss sat on the champion's bed, Blake choosing to sit at the foot of Pyrrha's bed as Ren sat at the foot of Jaune's. Ruby, in the blink of an eye, took a seat beside Blake as Yang plotted herself beside Ren. "Here's how it's gonna go, each of us gets the chance to ask someone here a question, depending on whose turn it is. You gotta answer honestly, and you only get two skips. I'll go first."

"Sheisse." Jaune muttered, hissing as Nora pinched him, not so subtlety.

"Bun-bun." Yang pointed to Jaune, ignoring the mix of embarrassment and annoyance he displayed at her using that nickname. "How'd you get those scars?" Like Nora, Yang had not sense of subtlety when it came to these kinds of questions. Weiss almost appeared as if she wanted to just disappear, her palm slapped against her face once her mind had registered what her teammate had just asked. The others remained deathly silent, leaving Jaune to decide whether he'd answer or not.

Surprisingly enough, he didn't look offended by her question, rather, his expression appeared genuinely surprised, forming a nostalgic smile soon after. It sparked a bit of curiosity, in most cases folks don't tend to enjoy dwelling on scars, others tend to relish in their wounds and make a story out of it. Although, the latter is almost always battle worn veterans who relish the reminder of their glory days.

"Training, hunting, sparring, a couple defense missions; take your pick." He answered fondly, sparking a great deal of curiosity amongst the group, especially the last bit. Ruby was all too happy to voice the thoughts of all those present.

"Defense Missions?!" She asked with beaming stars in her eyes.

"Yea, when I was thirteen my Opa took me and my sis on a few defense missions for a few nearby towns. Well, to be fair it was one escort detail and three defense contracts in the same place, never went on any after Eichenwalde…" A small shudder escaped the boy's gasp; the image of the hordes of Grimm swarming towards the city's crumbling walls still had him on edge. His mother wasn't so lenient on him joining any further missions after that. Although, in her defense, it was only supposed to be one defense mission, a three week mission quickly became a two month stay in the city under reconstruction. While he didn't do much fighting at the time, his job was mainly aiding the injured in the field.

"You've been to Eichenwalde?" Blake asked, her own curiosity peaked when hearing of one of the cities most affected Faunus Crisis.

Jaune nodded. "Yea, worked as a field medic, and helped out wherever I could, on and off the field, took out a few Grimm too." His words indicated a sense of pride; the same could be said for Nora who was beaming at her partner after hearing of his younger ventures. "Mostly Beos."

"Is that where you lost your…?" Ruby trailed off, she had spoken her mind aloud, not exactly meaning to. She wanted to phrase it differently, or ease into it. Yet, it came out regardless.

Jaune crossed his arms; memories of his surgery began flooding in all at once; the screaming, the pain, the silence. "Hmm, no, I lost my arm two years prior."

If the silence following up to his response wasn't low enough. He didn't hesitate for this response, nor did he intend to. And in all honesty, Jaune expected this; having to disclose a bit about himself. Although, judging by the shifting expressions, from curiosity and interest to sympathy and…pity; the conversation from here on out could go either with more questions about his arm or any other route entirely. He prayed for the latter.

"So, what's your Opa like?" And it was moments like these the Jaune thanked Oum for giving him a male teammate.

Sensing the awkward atmosphere, and the way his leader became eerily silent after revealing at what age he had lost a limb; he chose to stir the conversation back towards the one name that often came up when the blond reminisced about his home. Which was actually very rare, now that he thought of it.

Meanwhile, a widened smile shone brightly on the leader of team JNPR, with Jaune reaching for his scroll and opening up a chat box. Within seconds an image sprung up, and the balking expressions on those who saw his Opa were what made him giddy. He waited, knowing full well the one word folks used to describe him.

"HE'S HUGE!" There it was, and from Ruby too.

"That's what I said when I saw him." Nora commented.

"Exactly the same way too." Jaune teased, earning a playful shoulder swat.

In the image the young Ziegler showed was a mountain of a man with greyish platinum blond hair, a vertical scar over his left eye and in one arm was a blond haired toddler clinging to his wrist, seemingly swinging back and forth. Sitting calmly on the giant's lap was a brunette, considerably older than the boy, smiling widely at the camera while trying to keep herself composed. She was failing, that much was certain. Poking from behind his head was a young lass, perhaps a little older than the blond, holding a pink toy gun and holding onto the man's shirt. What caught two pair of eyes in particular were the girl's cat ears; a faunus.

"He may look intimidating; but he's as soft as can be." Jaune reassured them, remembering the many times he watched folks attempt to hold a conversation with an old soldier who could've easily popped their heads off with a simply twist. A morbid thought, but he wasn't the only one thinking that. "As a matter of fact; he's what holds our family together. If it wasn't for him…I wouldn't be here." Now one would think he referred to training; that his grandfather was his mentor, training him to become a true warrior. However, there was something in his tone that hinted at there being more to the history than what lay on the surface. "…by the way, is anyone else going to answer questions? Or is this all aimed at me today?"

Surprisingly enough, it was the heiress who responded. "We all had our turn our first night as teams, and the day you were discharged from the medbay. It's your turn to share with the group."

Civil, that was not a word he would've associated with the prospect of having a conversation with her given his first impression. Realizing what this meant for him, the blond decided to dive into scavenging his broken prosthetic. He'd still answer their questions, but it would be nice to hear their responses to questions too.

"Who are these other girls in the picture?" Pyrrha asked.

"My sisters." Jaune answered, his right arm extended out, gesturing to the appropriate individuals without needing to look at the photograph. "Hana and Brigitte. The latter being my closest sibling, and the former being my partner in crime." He chuckled, Nora snaked an arm around her fearless leader's neck, bringing him closer to her.

"That's my job now, right?" She held up a fist, instantly receiving grin from her partner, and a fist bump that echoed a metallic ping when their fists connected. Though the contact proved their fist bump was unintentionally hard, neither seemed too fazed by it.

Blake was the first to speak up after getting a good luck at the blond's former partner in crime, as he put it. "So…you're a faunus." For some reason she almost sounded hopeful, a small gleam of it shone in her eyes, only for it to shatter upon the blond shaking his head.

"No, human as the day I was born." He replied, unaware of the disheartening expression his book-buddy expressed. Knowing the popular belief of the Faunus gene being dominant, another question regarding his sibling would arise, so he clarified. "My mother took her in after a mission in Mistral, she was one of the survivors of an air raid on her city. When she arrived…she was as pale as snow, at the time no one knew if it was from what she saw when the bombs dropped, or the ash from the debris that settled on her." Jaune trailed off, the image of the girl who his mother brought home, the emptiness in her eyes, the lack of life in her movements, and the eerie silence had him assuming she was nothing more than a lifeless husk. But, as he said before, his grandfather was the reason his family is as close as it is. "But, that doesn't matter anymore, she's better now. And hey, just because we don't share blood; doesn't make her any less my sister, right?" A collection of nods responded, hell, even the heiress agreed, albeit reluctantly.

"So, bun-bun…" He cringed, that name was given to him by his grandparents, used relentless by his family, and was now utilized by the queen of gossip, or so Ruby labeled her. "What's your mom like?"

He blinked. Once, than twice, slowly glancing at the fellow blond, genuinely surprised to hear a normal question from her. "…umm, well, where to start? My mother is everything to me…she's the reason I'm here studying to be a hunter. When I was little she'd tell me stories of her time as a student, when she and my uncles caused some havoc of their own. She told me about all the good they did, all the people they saved as hunters. I want to be like how she used to be; out in the field saving lives, protecting people…making sure my brothers and sisters come home to their families."

"How she used to be?" Ren asked, curious in how his leader phrased his wording; indicating a shift in how the blond saw his mother. Or, perhaps she was simply retired; after all, Atlas was still very much searching for the infamous doctor. And with her son in Beacon, no doubt they'd pull whatever strings they had to get to his leader. To the credit of these first years, Ren was not the only one thinking it either.

The smile on Jaune's lips faded, slowly. The stories he'd been told by his family, by his mother were ones of hunters in their prime; warriors out on the front lines safeguarding the kingdoms and protecting the peace. Or, that's what they were led to believe. "My mom decided to hang up her old armor, taking up a simple job as Zurich's doctor. She still helps people, don't get me wrong, I'm proud of what she does…and for a while, when I told her I wanted to be like her; she assumed I only wanted to be a doctor. But when she found out what I actually meant…" The blond imitated the sound of an incoming bomb whilst his real hand dragged across his damp hair. "She did not take that well." He let out a dry chuckle, the image of the good doctor's fearful expression left him with a pinging guilt, especially now.

"Does it have anything to do with that message your Nana sent?" Nora asked, catching the interest of both her team and the other four around her. Of the seven students present, Jaune showed more trust in Nora than the others. Of course, that was to be expected; they were partners. Though, the fact that the bubbly bomber knew of certain traits pertaining to her partner garnered a great deal of curiosity from their fellow hunters in training. And it left a bitter sentiment in their stomachs; Jaune trusted Nora enough to reveal bits and pieces of himself that he chose to keep secret from both his team and friends. Although, given that they had only known one another for about a week, none of RWBY were too quick to obtain anything too personal from their friend. The same could not be said for Ren and Pyrrha, mostly the latter.

"Yea, something like that." Jaune mumbled his eyes shifting back to his nearly disassembled prosthetic. The last of any good scrap had been stripped, now all was left was to dispose of the waste at a later day. Placing all the viable salvage in a separate container, the blond placed it in a drawer by his bedside, and unceremoniously tossing the stripped scrap unto its old box. He shoved it back under his bed, intent on lying down, only to realize his bed was currently occupied.

"I have a question." It had to be the heiress, and just as he was about to sleep too. "You're name is Mistrali." She had better have a point to it, especially since she was only pointing out the obvious, not exactly asking any form kind of question. "But your mother is Atlesian, am I to assume your father is from Mistral?"

Oh, well, there was an obvious answer to this little question, though the blond only knew vague details of the whole ordeal. "Actually, I was given a Mistrali name in honor of my godfather. I never got the chance to meet him, but my godmother talked about him once in a while."

"Your parents named you after your godfather?" Weiss was somewhat curious at this point, more so for clarity than genuine interest.

"Well, no, my mom didn't really like the name Gerard, and she wanted to stick to an Atlesian sounding name. She actually wanted to name me Johan…its close enough I guess." He mumbled. Realizing he liked the name his mother originally wanted for him, and yet still conflicted with the emotional attachment he held towards the name his godmother picked out for him. "Alright, last question then I'm knocking out for the night." Jaune mumbled, yawning while drying off the rest of his hair.

"What about your dad?" Jaune froze, not out of shock, but rather out of realization. His mind played back, subconsciously searching for memories of his father; he found none. Of all the things he had in his life that was the one thing he grew up without. And it stirred uneasy emotions in his stomach, not out of anger towards the brawler for asking a legitimately fair question, but rather he was displeased with the thought of the absent man who often, at the mention of him, would bring his own mother to tears.

"I don't know...never met him." He answered; the others were quick to pick up in his change in mood. Yang realized it much quicker than most she had touched on a rather sensitive subject judging by the shift in his tone. She instantly recognized it; the feeling of curiosity mixed in with sadness, guilt, and anger. At that point Jaune didn't know what else to say. Or, he did, but he felt no need to shed tears over a subject he still had mixed feelings over. He glanced to his partner; she met his gaze, and nodded.

"Can I ask one thing…before we head to bed?" Jaune stole a quick glance at Ruby, doing so only because her puppy eyes were at max. Normally, this wouldn't affect him; however, Ruby's was different in that her use of the infamous puppy eyes; they were not being used for nefarious reasons.

Or at least he hoped not.

Still, Jaune smiled, nodding once to show he relented. There were only two so far he showed leniency towards; his partner and Ruby, both never actually asking for much nor taking advantage of his lenient attitude towards them. Unless they felt they absolutely needed to, but that was simply due to personal opinion on what constituted a necessity. For Ruby, it was always a situation akin to asking for an extra sliver of desert as the meal was ending.

"How'd you get the scar here?" She gestured to, where common anatomy for humans dictated, a heart would be. Yang's attention zeroed in on her baby sister, she assumed Ruby wouldn't have seen it given how quickly she and her partner averted their eyes. "B-b-but y-you don't have t-t-o if y-you don't want to."

And like with Nora, Jaune bit on his tongue, debating internally on what to share, and how to word whatever he spoke of. The wound itself was no issue it healed like any other, and the perpetrator was of no burden to him, he knew exactly how he handled it, and was firm with the decision he had made. What bothered him was the sentiment, or rather lack of, that he felt during that incident; remorse. It unnerved him to reveal anything given how his conversation with Nora went. His partner didn't judge him, nor did she treat him any different. What bothered the blond was the discussion they had, the logic he lived by was clearly not a shared opinion with his partner, he could only wonder if he would receive the same reaction from his teammates and friends. The last thing he needed was judgmental and scornful eyes peering down on him every second of the day. He barely tolerated that from the heiress.

"…three years ago, Zurich, an assassination attempt by the White Fang." The room fell silent once more, the icy cold atmosphere was only matched by the morbid fact that judging by where Jaune caressed, had the assassin been just a little more accurate; Jaune wouldn't be with them now.

Blake was trembling, her fists clenched and her eyes focused elsewhere. "A-are…are you sure it was White Fang?" She asked, something in her hoping for him to have doubt over his attacker. What he said next would only crumble her resolve.

"Yea, definitely Fang. I mean, if the fact that she kept calling me a 'filthy human' wasn't proof enough, the trademark mask and getup was pretty spot on." Jaune commented, his mind racing at what he was about to reveal next. "Truth be told, it wasn't the first attempt on my life, but I was actually able to fight back that time." He could feel their stares, the pity in them was unbearable, but from two, he received two very different stares. From Blake, he saw guilt, as if she felt responsible for his injuries. Weiss was something else, he saw a sense of familiarity, as if by the account of his story; the White Fang attempts on his life, she saw more than just a brute, as she often put it. "She got a good hit on me, won't deny that. But I'm only lucky she missed, after realizing she didn't pierce my heart, I used the momentary shock to take her down…I took her mask too, as a reminder."

He was now treading into the part of his tale that had him in hot water with Nora the first time around, and he knew the heiress would definitely berate him for the action he took following his win over the assassin.

Blake, for the most part, felt her heart threatening to burst through her chest. She held fear over his admittance to being attacked by a White Fang member, but to keep the mask as some sort of reminder? Reminder to what? She could only wonder, and pray her first thought was not what he intended.

"By take her down, you mean restrain her and hand her over to the authorities, right?" Pyhrra seemingly almost begged for that to be the case, but when Jaune shook his head, he swore he could hear a collective of gasps from his friends.

"You…killed her?" Weiss was unsure if she wanted to hear the answer to her question.

"No." Jaune replied, steeling himself for the backlash. "I let her go."

"WHAT?!" Came the collective response from his friends, the loudest ones being an ear-piercing shriek from Weiss and an astounded Blake.

He knew the questions that would follow, so he continued, his eyes locked on to his partner.

"_I was kidnapped, two times in my life; both were for ransom. Assassinations were more often than what my mother would've wanted, but this attack occurred because I publicly spoke out against the Fang in my home. My family has influence in Zurich, so of course more than a few folks took my words to heart…so when I was attacked, I wasn't surprised…I shouldn't have been. I still remember the look on her face when she stabbed me. I know she had a mask on, but I could still see bits of her expression; she was shocked. The Fang had sent a novice to take me out *heh* I kinda feel offended now that I think about it…but when I got the upper hand, and I had the assassin restrained…all of my anger just came forth, mixed in with the adrenaline rush. Keep in mind, the dagger she used was still lodged in my chest, so imagine a man who appears to have been stabbed in the heart berating a White Fang rookie. I even remember the exact words I spoke that day. 'It's because of people like you that I live in fear, it's because of you that my sister can't walk our city streets without people assuming she's a Fang member, and it's because of you that the faunus will never be accepted.'…and then I heard it…she was crying. Granted, I did say a few more things…I even threatened her with her own blade. But, when I heard her crying, I felt a shiver crawl up my spine. Without thinking, I took off her mask, and..."_

There was confusion, and genuine curiosity on the heiress' part. Blake was listening intently, Ruby as well. Pyrrha and Ren were stoic, though they too were listening to their leader's tale.

All the while Jaune's eyes were still locked onto Nora's. "I saw myself…"

"What is that supposed to mean?" Weiss snarled, her patience running thin.

To which Jaune sighed and turned his attention to the heiress. "She was a kid, Weiss. No older than me." In an instant, Weiss' anger vanished, replaced with astonishment, as were the rest of the listeners. "When I saw her, I didn't see a terrorist. I didn't see an assassin; I saw a child, scared, with her life in my hands. I know better than anyone what that's like; to feel so powerless and vulnerable under the tip of a steel dagger, to have your life hanging by a thread, wondering if you'll ever live to see what comes next…" His voiced almost croaked, one thing he made quite clear to his partner when he told her this story; he never got over those memories, the ones where he was taken from his home, his life in the hands of different individuals who had their own ways of entertaining themselves. His eyes averted his partner's choosing instead to lock onto the floor, flashes of the times he was held captive sparked in his head, every little detail reemerged. "I don't know entirely what I was thinking at the time, but within the span of a minute, I cut the ropes, and I only one thing to her; run. I don't condone nor do I sympathize with how the White Fang is nowadays, but something in me just couldn't let her be taken by the police. To this day I haven't seen her, but I haven't forgotten what she looked like." Tan skinned, sky blue eyes, reptilian-like freckles, a bit shorter than him and her auburn hair tied into a small bun.

His eyes glanced towards the heiress; the fury in her eyes was unmistakably aimed towards him for allowing a dangerous criminal go free. "Jaune, why did you keep her mask?" Somehow Blake had gotten closer, having taken a seat beside him on his bed.

"To remind myself; the people in the Fang are there for a reason, someone or something made them so desperate that they'd choose bloodshed over diplomacy. And honestly, while I would never condone their idealism, I understand why they're so vengeful. I just wish I could've done more…but I was so angry at the time, if I hadn't told her to run…I might've just let the authorities take her. And knowing how things were at the time, and how certain people feel towards the White Fang; they would've tried her as an adult…and when they found her guilty…" He shuddered; there was more to this story than he was telling that much was certain to the amber-eyed book worm. She could guess what outcome came to any Fang member caught by authorities, worse if said member was a younger than them. She wanted to ask, maybe discuss what he'd seen, to get a better insight on his past so as to see where he stood on the idea of equality; be it by action or by doing nothing. But, as it showed previously, Jaune was secretive over his private life, he never disclosed much about what he did before coming to Beacon. She could relate; wanting to keep certain bits of your past a secret, though, she was indeed more interested in his past experiences, particularly the ones revolving his upbringing with a faunus sibling and his views on the Fang.

The heiress appeared displeased with his reasoning, but the blond cared little for her displeasure. Instead, Jaune chose to wave off any further questions and hit the hay. It's not that he didn't want to continue conversing with his friends, hell he was actually curious as to what the heiress' opinion on his actions were. But, he was genuinely tired, and knowing from the call with his hacker from earlier; he was about to receive some stubborn guests the next day that would tire him out more than An hour long of Port's winded speeches. It really paid to have someone give him a heads up of incoming danger, though; the fee for that info was what he held issue with. Still, in the interest of actually gaining sleep, Jaune chose to close his eyes and doze off, unaware of a pair of sky-blue eyes peeking into his window, hidden in the thickets of a nearby tree. The window to the dorm was opened, just a bit, and given the volume of their voices this wanderer should not have been able to hear their conversation. But she did; every word.

Her attention locked onto the blond when he began telling the tale of how he had received an injury on his chest. She waited to hear the berating, the insults he would probably throw her way for being so incompetent. But none of that came, instead she found herself listening to his side of the story, the part where the rage had settled, and his own opinion came into to speak its own. He left out some core details, perhaps the most damming of them; her identity. She remembered too, being under his grasp, realizing her mistake at the last minute and being taken down in an embarrassingly short amount of time. She was supposed to be short and agile, able to sneak about without being detected. And even when she got the upper hand the first time around, as if placed on high alert he was able to keep up with her with the following attacks that culminated in her quick defeat. And then she panicked, feeling one arm restraining her wrists, while a metallic limb was pressed tightly against her neck. In the heat of the moment she screamed, she kicked the air; she flailed her body around hoping to get him off. But she wouldn't deny; for a fourteen year old, the boy was built to be sturdier than most. And in the midst of her ranting, he blew up as well, yelling all these things at her that made her want to silence him by not missing the second time. She remembered every word he said, every insult, every increase in his grip with each raised tone. She had never felt so humiliated, so demeaned in her life. Every word stuck, haunting her, causing her to actively deny each accusation towards her organization of them being terrorists. Yet, when she took a moment to stop being a 'grunt', and look back on their actions and missions, she finds it harder to justify her actions.

All of her conflicting emotions came from that one moment, where most humans would've either killed her or turned her in, this one chose instead to give her one, and only one, option; run. And she did, back into the unwelcoming arms of her peers who were quick to punish her for her mission failure. In hindsight, sending a novice to assassinate a doctor's son should've been easy, if said son's grandfather was not a crusader and actively training his grandson.

Now, after watching Beacon's broadcasted initiation she found herself with a simple goal; kill the young Ziegler, the source of her shame and doubt. She would finish what she should've done away with years ago. And yet, she hesitates, just like before. Not solely because of the blond, but for another in the room, another familiar face from her past; Belladonna. No words could describe the fury Ilia was feeling at the sight of her old teammate amongst these humans, and hiding her Faunus heritage no less; it was shameful. Throughout the whole thing she'd been waiting for her moment, and her waiting came to fruition. As soon as the blond rolled in his covers, Belladonna's team left shortly after, across the hall from this room; convenient, should the assassin feel so brazen to further relieve her frustration on another irritating tick in her life. It didn't take long for the lights to go out, but she didn't rush it. No, she waited for over an hour, plenty of time for the blond's teammates to fall asleep. As per her profession, Amitola slithered down the tree, scaling up the wall with ease as she found the window still open. To her luck, she was able to open said window without the annoying metallic creaking. Carefully, she unsheathed a familiar dagger; its aim would be precise and without fail this one and final time. She silently approached the blond's side of the bed; her dagger was descending towards his neck, steadily. The only time she flinched hesitated really, was when he shifted. To her favor; the blond rolled on his back, exposing his chest with his arms to the side. His metallic arm dangling off the side of the bed, still connected to him.

That should've been a red flag off the bat, but with her target right there in front of her, vulnerable and unaware; she acted on impulse. She shouldn't have, she knows that, but seeing him like this, this small window of opportunity, she acted.

She took the bait. A metal fist shot up, an uppercut delivered without mercy. She stumbled backwards; her vision blurred with the sudden counter to her second attempted assassination. What she was able to make out was the blond quit literally bolting from his bed, tackling her to the ground, and once again restraining her on the floor. All of this was painstakingly familiar, down to the way she watched the blurred world spin as she embraced the floor after an extended time apart. Only difference was her face slamming against carpet rather than concrete. Her flailing this time was met similarly to a feather struggling against the weight of a boulder. She could breathe fine enough, but the strength that held her in place was far more rigid than the last time.

"Damn, was hoping for her to be wrong." And like that, her anger boiled to newer levels. The lights flickered on; one of the blond's teammates had bolted from his bed amidst the struggle, flipping on the lights. The three teammates were quick to rise from their beds, disheveled and still half-asleep. What they never expected, not so quickly after just hearing their leader's tale; an actual White Fang assassin held firmly under his grip. Their leader didn't seem fazed by it, rather, he was grinning widely.

'Guess I owe Olivia for that little tip.' The blond mentally thanked his new source of information, the woman's constant hacking into the video feeds and scroll location pings were proving to give him an edge on these new attackers.

"Nora, find me something to tie her with!" Seeing her leader holding down a masked Fang member had her dazed, for only a few seconds. After the initial shock had passed, the red-head bounced into action, searching the closet for anything to help restrain the assassin. She did so feverishly, fear and anger coarse through her veins as she realized, in her search for restraints, that her leader, her partner, was almost killed tonight. The only comfort to her distress was that he managed to subdue his attacker, but the fact that there was an attacker at all stirred an uneasy pit of emotions in her stomach. This was a shared sentiment between her fellow teammates.

As for Jaune, he was wary when Olivia sent him the warning after his talk with his grandmother, but it appeared as though her constant surveillance bared some fruit. The adrenaline rush had begun to die down, but he could still feel his heart beating profoundly, more so his ragged breathing wasn't so much from tackling the assassin; his heavy breathing came from the fact that there were still people after him after all this time. He knew the possibility existed, but in Beacon, he had hoped to at the very least be able to sleep at night without having a knife in arm, and a gun between his mattresses.

Nora returned to her partner with a red scarf, wasting no time Jaune was quick to pin the assassin down further, pressing his knee down on her hands, earning a hissing gasp from the captured faunus. It didn't take long for the blond to tie the scarf tightly around the faunus' wrists, hoisting her up and forcibly sitting her down on a desk chair. Seeing a glint of metal at the foot of his bed, Jaune reached towards the weapon intended to be used in ending his life this night. He twirled the dagger in his hand, a testament to his training with his uncle from Mistral. Among other tricks he could pull, he instead opted to handle what came next with calmness. The last thing he needed was a rise in tensions.

But then, the minute he turned to face his attacker, when his ocean blue met her sky-blue, seeing the familiar hatred in her eyes, the same colored hair, tanned skin, and if he were to take her mask off, he knew he'd find a similar set of freckles he noticed on her exposed skin. The memory of their first encounter flashed before him once again, three years later and they sent the same one. In a way, he was somewhat glad it was her, because this attack only proved something to him; letting her go the first time was a mistake.

He stole small glances at his teammates; Ren was the calmest of the three, but given what the blond knew of his partner, he could only assume the usually stoic boy was worried beyond belief internally. Pyrrha was more battle prone than anything, but given their weapons were in their lockers, for obvious safety reasons, her secondary fighting method consisted of hand-to-hand combat techniques. As for his partner, he could see her visibly fighting back the urge to break this assassin's legs for attempting to end her partner's life.

These three, his teammates, his friends, could've been in danger because of a bad call he made three years prior. In fact, in those days, with his naïve way of thinking he had hoped his small act of mercy would perhaps have her think twice on her life decisions. A stupid and childish notion, he knew, but he truly wished that was the case. Although, not many had the opportunity he had; to fix a mistake that placed his team in danger.

Jaune walked up to her, the dagger twirling in his hand, stopping only once he was directly in front of her. He kneeled down at eye level, his neutral expression challenging her heated glare.

"Can't say I'm surprised they'd try again…although, I am disappointed to see you." His tone was leveled, calm. But beneath that self-control, he felt his anger boiling beneath his patience. It was one thing to target him, but to for his own team to be put in danger; he'd correct the problem, before it became a bigger pest later down the line. He had already decided on his next course of action. The knife's tip kissed the exposed nip of the assassin's neck. Her breath hitched upon contact, the blond's teammates looked to their leader with widened eyes. "I'm only going to ask this once…" His voice was still calm, still neutral, and yet she still felt the overwhelming malice radiating from him. "Was I your only target, or were you going to lay hands on my teammates?" Ilia felt her blood run cold; his eyes were daring her to answering wrongly.

That moment of fear passed, replaced with her own brand of malice aimed at the blond. She remained silent, unwilling to answer his question, mostly out of pride and stubbornness. But she would only test his patience as his brows narrowed, the blade digging just a tad bit into her neck. With each second she felt the blade slowly being pressed into her neck. She tried turning away, only for the blond to forcefully grab her chin and turning her head back to him. "Don't you dare look away from me." He growled. It was when she peered into his blazing eyes that she remembered another individual, a walking nightmare. An individual that was well known amongst both White Fang and Atlesian military for wiping out entire bases, often single-handedly and frighteningly enough, at almost every base she was stationed at. She could feel the same malicious aura emitting from this boy that she felt on the individual who she watched massacre hundreds of her brethren without so much as pausing for some show of mercy. And then she saw it, an illusion brought to life by her own fear; that damned mask glaring down at her. Those pulsing crimson eyes piercing into her very core.

It was only when she felt a metallic hand on her neck that she snapped back to reality. She was staring at the blond again, his expression remained neutral, but his demeanor had changed. The fury was still there, but it had calmed down.

"You look like you've seen a ghost." He commented, cleaning the blade from the small stain of blood on it. Ilia did indeed feel a small ting of blood drying on her neck, but she ignored it, her glare had returned, though, not as strongly as she displayed before. "Answer my question." He demanded.

"If I had to." She snarled, admitting to not having an issue harming his team, a grave mistake on her part.

Jaune remained silent; his whole appeared eerily frozen in place, as if time had halted. And without a hint or warning, the blade twirled in his palm before it hoisted up and came down on the assassin's leg, the tip and upper half of the blade was embedded into her flesh. "That's the wrong fucking answer." Jaune's reply was cold, unnerving, and lacking any form of remorse. Ilia was screaming through her tightened lips. If she screamed openly, there was a chance they'd be caught by staff or security, and as a White Fang, things would look direr for her than they would for the hunter she intended to kill. Tears welled in eyes, running freely down her cheeks as the pain had become too much, she wanted to flail, to run or jump out the window but she finds herself unable to move due to the bit of steel in her leg.

"JAUNE!" The blond didn't turn to face his teammates, though; he knew how they must've been looking at him right now; with disgust or horror. But right now, he chose to ignore the shame pinging in his head.

Jaune leaned towards Ilia, his hand grasping the hilt of the blade. "Trying to kill me is one thing, but…" He twisted the knife, causing the faunus to whimper and shrivel under the pain. "Targeting my team is something I won't overlook…" He gave the knife another twist before forcibly removing the dagger.

Without warning, their door slammed open, Yang and Ruby being the first to enter. Blake and Weiss following close behind. "Guys, we heard noises and-" The girls recoiled, not expecting to see not only their sister team huddled around a fifth individual, but a bleeding White Fang at that. And from the looks of things, Jaune was currently holding a blade in hand whilst the assassin was bleeding from an injury to her leg. To their horror, mostly for Ruby and Blake, the last thing they wanted to see was their friend staring down at the injured assassin with those cold dead eyes, as if he cared little whether this girl was currently bleeding out in his dorm room.

For Jaune; this was spiraling out of control. All his pent up anger and hatred towards the White Fang had finally surfaced, and it came in the form of the one Fang member he showed mercy towards. Because of his decision to let her go, he involuntarily placed his team in danger, and it was a threat he'd never allow to be repeated again. "I made the mistake of allowing you to go free once before…I won't make that mistake again." His friends, as well as the assassin, felt their hearts skip a beat. For one, his tone sounded genuine, as if he intended to keep true to his word.

Nora had seen and heard more than enough she reached for her partner, intending to end this sudden shift in attitude before he escalated this any further. She reached forward hell-bent on ensuring her partner wouldn't end up making a mistake that would ruin him. As her hands were about to grasp his shoulder, he turned towards her, startling the redhead. The way he looked at her unnerved her; his face was cold and calculating. Her hopes lingered on whatever it was he would ask next. She knew her and the others could overpower him, overrule any outlandish order, and intervene in any sudden moves he made. But, she held her breath, praying her partner wouldn't force her hand.

"Call Goodwitch and Lacroix, let them know we caught an intruder…"

Her prayer was answered, and with no time to waste, she quickly reached for her scroll, giving her partner a sideways glance; he had kneeled once more in front of the White Fang; only this time he was healing her, at least that's what Nora could see. Regardless of how quickly things escalated, she was glad her partner didn't do anything drastic…at least, nothing lethal. Still, once the professors took this Fang member into custody Nora intended to have a long winded talk with her partner over what occurred tonight; make no mistake she was not going to see her partner act in such a way again, especially not if she can help it.

* * *

**A/N: OK, first things first, Jaune is not a psycho; I assure all of you…I have another story where he has a few screws loose…shit, spoiler I suppose. I only wanted him to come across as protective, but with a flare and attitude that mirrors both his parents. Keep in mind my dear readers, I aim to have our blond side on gray morality, it'll be more clear as the chapters come. **

**Also, the Faunus Crisis will mirror the Omnic Crisis from the game, just in case no one got that little reference.**

**And one last thing, for the sake of consistency, all Overwatch characters will be the same age they are in the game, EXCEPT a select few. Mercy, McCree, Satya, Hanzo, and Genji have been aged up five years. Ashe by three years, and four for Baptiste (Yes, he's in the story.) The reason behind the sudden change in ages for these particular characters was to adjust them to be placed in hunter teams, and to give them bigger roles in the Faunus Crisis, which will be explored further in the next three chapters. Thank you all for reading, ciao! **

**Translations:**

**Sheisse – shit**

**Responses:**

**TheGreatSeeker; Yes and no. The storyline will follow up to the events of vol 3, but will diverge greatly during the tournament. I cannot divulge too much, due to spoilers mostly. But I will say; the invasion will still be in this timeline.**

**Roger9481; I'll divulge into this a little more later on, I don't want to randomly throw out exposition, but it will be explained in the next few chapters. I assure you.**

**Guest; I can't say who his father is, not yet at least. It won't be known until further on in the story, and I'm glad you like the story so far. **

**John Spicer; oh, make no mistake, Jaune has indeed earned his place at Beacon, but his family's reasoning for not wanting him to attend Beacon will be due to the headmaster and his secrets. For now, that's all I can say, but I will say; Jaune will find out very soon why his family didn't want him to attend Beacon.**


	5. Painful Reunion

It was a hectic day for Beacon, a few key teachers were absent, and none knew why. The security detail had increased their routes, catching a few students ditching their classes, but nothing completely out of the ordinary. And for the most part, some just assumed this was some form of drill or training for their staff; to have them stay on their toes in the case of an emergency and their hunter alumni were not present to respond. Others speculated there was some kind of incident that had occurred, and those absent were directly involved. Only eight students currently attending Oobleck's lecture had knowledge on what occurred that caused this increase in security.

Weiss was less concerned with the added security and more preoccupied with Pyrrha's leader. Not only was he attacked in the middle of the night, but he had managed to subdue and invoke fear in the heart of the assassin. And according to the champion herself, Jaune only harmed the girl when she admitted that, if given the circumstances, she would harm his teammates as well. Jaune's response was a swift jab at her leg, and while the details made the heiress squeamish, she understood his sentiment. When his last choice of words gave indication that he was going to 'correct' his mistake of letting her go the first time, she and her teammates assumed he was going to kill her. But he didn't, and while it gave the heiress a sense of relief the boy wasn't going to resort to such measures, she had to wonder how it was he was able to not only plant fear in the Fang assassin, but in his own teammates as well, if the story from Pyrrha's point of view was of any indication.

Yang was conflicted, she understood why Jaune reacted the way he did, if someone snuck into her room in the middle of the night and admitted that they'd hurt her baby sister; there would be no place on Remnant to protect them from her fury. But the way Pyrrha described things, what the brawler saw upon entering almost looked like an interrogation with a side of torture. Though, as the red-head pointed out, there was no bloodshed until the assassin admitted her intent to hurt the other members of JNPR if her mission required it. For Yang, this was something she would've done, but to hear that her fellow blond would go so far to protect his own team. She had a newfound respect for the boy, though, she worried over how her baby sister was reacting to all this. When they were told that the blond had been targeted before in the past, no one assumed they'd be after him this time around. Especially not in Beacon where the risks of detection were pretty high, not to mention the highly trained hunters and huntresses employed in the staff. To walk into his team's room and see the assassin and blood on Jaune's hands, it was quite a haunting sight for the silver-eyed girl reaper.

Ren was quiet over the entire thing, while he was startled by the sudden ruckus late at night; he assumed Nora must've tripped on something in the room. But to switch on the lights and see his leader retraining a White Fang intruder; as a hunter-in-training he felt a bit of shame on his part for not assisting his leader. What unnerved him the most was when Jaune jabbed the knife into the girl's leg, the gruesome act was still playing in his head. And when thinking on it, he understood why his leader reacted in such a way; this girl who he showed clemency towards came back for a second go at his life, and intended to harm his team should she find a reason to. His leader as well felt both regret and anger, his leniency three years prior placed his team in danger, and he sought to correct his mistake. Although, if the green clad boy had his say in the matter, he wished his teammate would've gone about it without inflicting any injury towards the faunus.

Blake had yet to stray her eyes from the blond sitting just in front of her. It was a jarring sight to see him with a blood stained knife, with dead cold eyes locked on an assassin he managed to restrain. What unsettled her further, and something she managed to keep to herself; she knew the assassin. It was hard to accurately put a name on her, but upon getting a better look at the Fang, Blake instantly recognized her. Ilia Amitola, an old comrade of hers, both had worked many times together prior to the young Belladonna attending Beacon. But now, her old friend was being held in some detention center within the school, being interrogated and who knows what else. Not to mention, Ilia was the assassin sent to kill Jaune three years ago, something Pyrrha gave privy to during breakfast. She wanted to converse with him before classes, to get see how he was holding up…however…

Beside the blond, seemingly partaking in a similar activity as Belladonna, Nora had not left her partner's side after the attempted assassination. She gave him an earful once the teachers had taken the Fang member into custody, though, she was not as harsh as the others thought she would be. Which isn't to say Jaune was helping the situation either; on more than one occasion Nora was close to blowing up in rage over her leader's lack of caring for the events that had transpired. And judging by the fact that she did indeed stay at his side throughout the entirety of the morning up until now, Blake had a good hunch she wouldn't be able to speak privately to the blond.

Ruby was, for lack of a better word, troubled. When she heard noises coming from her friend's room in the middle of the night she bolted into action, awaking her teammates as well. After hearing Jaune speak so nonchalant of the events of his life, she wanted nothing more than to help her friend. She wanted to build better memories with him, and perhaps most of all, help watch his back so that no enemy would ever come as close as that one assassin did. But, when her team and her burst into JNPR's, she balked at the sight of seeing her first friend at Beacon standing before a restrained intruder with a bloody knife in hand. From what she heard from Pyrrha, the moment the intruder admitted to be willing to hurt Jaune's teammates was when the blond decided to send a clear message; hurting him was of no concern to him, but laying a finger on his teammates would result in the blond open to the idea of torturous punishment. Of course, there was a chance Pyrrha was simply exaggerating, even Nora was quick to correct her fellow red-head that this outburst came with Jaune feeling guilty that a bad decision he made in the past came back to haunt him…or rather; placed his team in danger. Needless to say, the young Reaper was not conflicted on where she stood in terms of whether her friend's outburst was justified or not.

They were in Beacon to be hunters; defenders of humanity and heroes that would always show up when needed. And when she met the blond, the way he talked of his goal to be a combat medic, to help people was contradicted with the events of the night prior. She made a mental note to speak with her fellow leader, to set him straight; they were heroes, and they needed to act the part.

"And so, with the bombing of Zurich, the Allied kingdoms destabilized what little control the Coalition had in the region, the few remaining Coalition forces either surrendered or dispersed, thus bringing an end to the Faunus Crisis. Three years this conflicted lasted, a short but costly conflict; resulting in deaths of hundreds of thousands of soldiers and civilians. Can anyone tell me which areas were affected the hardest?" Oobleck asked, zipping around the room at blinking speed that put Ruby's semblance to shame. The man had been giving a lecture over the Faunus Crisis, wasting no time delving into the subject and holding nothing back in terms of vivid details.

A hand rose from amongst the crowd of students, the doctor appeared in front of said student's desk without a moment's notice. "Mister Ziegler, good to see you contributing to the class. Do tell; what were the areas most affected by the war? And for extra credit, explain why?"

This was easy for the blond, he lived and grew up right in the middle of the aforementioned city, he didn't need books to know of the city's history, the folks there wouldn't stop talking about it. Not to mention, most of the city was under reconstruction when he was child. "Zurich, Eichenwalde, Cairo, Anubis, Dubai, and Vol'skaya were the six cities affected the hardest by the conflict; during and post. Estimations over casualties account Vol'skaya and Dubai losing over half of their population to friendly fire as a result of close quarter combat in the ruins of the cities. Zurich and Eichenwalde saw the more gruesome aspects of the war, with 93% of their cities destroyed thanks to allied bombings and the Coalition forces laying traps at each corner. And I do mean that last part literally; to this day certain sections of the city are still closed due to the defense forces still searching for any remaining bombs." Jaune listed off, though the subject matter was unsettling, his professor appeared pleased with his answer.

"Quite right." Oobleck noted, taking a sip of his cup's contents before continuing. "And do you know why these areas in particular were most affected by the war?"

Jaune only took a moment to gather his thoughts before voicing his answer. "The cities the Coalition occupied were too far from each kingdom's capital city, military bases weren't exactly bustling during peace time either. All in all, there just wasn't enough time to act swiftly or have consistent contact with military commanders prior to the creation of the CCT. By the time the allies had their armies mobilized, the Coalition had bunkered down in many of their captured cities. The bombings were meant to clear paths into each city, what the commanders failed to realize was that civilians were placed around these advantageous locations, to act as hostages…it didn't deter the allies."

"Correct again, Mister Ziegler, well done. And, while I'm sure you've heard this many times before, I wish to give condolences for your father." At this, the blond's calm and neutral eyes widened like saucers. His body went stiff, not even daring to make a move in fear that Oobleck would stop talking. "I remember him well during his time here in Beacon. He was a good man, a good friend…unorthodox, but truly a great hunter. His passing was a personal loss for myself and Professor Port…forgive me, I don't mean to rant. But, I wish you could've met him, you were only a month old when…" The man trailed off, seemingly lost in remembrance. Jaune felt his heart beating faster with each word his professor muttered, his face contorted into many emotions, all of them pushing him further towards another breakdown. Why? This was by far the most anyone had spoken to him about his own father, and it wasn't until now that he discovered him to be dead.

All those nights he stayed up, wondering why his father didn't want him enough to stay, cursing the bastard for making his mother cry at just the mere memory of him…but now he knew; his father was dead. And yet, he still had no name. He felt a soft hand grasp his shoulder; he glanced to his partner who was, for some odd reason, suddenly worried about him. Curious, he remembered telling Nora of his mixed feelings over the subject of his father, but to hear about him now, in this much detail; admittingly it was getting to be a bit much, but it wasn't something to be worried over. That is, until he took a moment to glance around, many of the students were staring at him, some with confusion, and others with mild concern. "What?" His voice croaked, astonished at the tone of his voice he gently cupped his mouth, only then did was he aware of the streams of salted waters running down his cheeks.

Genuinely, he was actually surprised to be shedding tears at all, none of what Oobleck said was enough for him to just suddenly break down. Right?

"Mister Ziegler, are you alright?" The professor was in front of him, concerned over the sudden tears shed by his student.

"Y-yes, sir." The blond quickly wiped away his tears, erasing all traces before clearing his throat. "Apologies sir, but would you happen to recall my father's full title? I'm afraid it isn't recorded in Zurich's texts." He wasn't lying, but he wasn't telling the whole truth either. Rather, he didn't know if his old man was in the texts because he didn't know what the man's name was to begin with.

This question was met with a few raised eyebrows, one of which was from the very man that held the answer he'd been searching for.

"Ah…that is odd, he was well known during the war. I believe, if I'm not mistaken, his designation was Valen Fourth battalion, Lieutenant-" Abruptly, the doors to Oobleck's class slammed open, the cause of the interruption shook many to their cores; Professor Lacroix. From her poise, she appeared calm and relaxed, but if one looked closely, they'd see slightly irregular breathing, and a scroll in her hand with a purple skull plastered on the screen.

"Ms. Lacroix, to what do we owe this surprise visit?" doctor Oobleck, asked, receiving a fixed glance from the Mistrali sniper.

"Doctor Oobleck, might I have a word with you for a moment…outside." A few students shuddered, at the coldness in the woman's tone. Though, the good doctor showed no visible reaction. Instead, he turned to his class.

"I will return soon, please study chapters pertaining to the Crisis." And with that, he sped out of the room. Lacroix not too far behind.

Seeing the glimpse of the purple skull sent an uneasy shiver up the blond's spine. He took a quick glance at his scroll; his eyes were met with the same skull pattern associated with a familiar hacker.

'_Was…was she listening the whole time?'_

She must've, this wasn't a damned coincidence. Jaune realized what just happened; Olivia alerted his godmother over a subject his family kept a tight lid on; his father. No one ever spoke of the man, not in front of his mother, never in front of his grandparents, and no one had the gull to even mention the man to the blond. For years he grew up believing his old man walked out on his mother, other times he tried being optimistic and assumed he was on some long mission and would return soon. All those years he sat by the window, wondering when his father would come home, and no one could be bothered to tell him his own father was dead. Would that truly have been so hard? What reason could his family have to disassociate themselves from the man, and more importantly, for Jaune at least; why didn't they want him knowing about him at all? All these secrets, the lies, the realization of his father; it stirred a plethora of emotions in him that he would rather do without.

* * *

After the professor had returned, without giving Jaune a chance to ask further of his father, Oobleck dropped the subject entirely and switched on to the aftermath of the war, and even when he stayed after class the history professor would avoid or divert the topic to something entirely different. Further annoying the blond was the fact that he could distinctly see his godmother watching him at many moments of the day. She'd be watching from afar, seemingly performing some mundane task, but her eyes would occasionally glance his way. This wasn't new to him,; this was just a taste of what the lengths his family would go to bury memories they preferred left alone. He wanted to walk up to her and demand she stop babying him and tell him what he wanted to know of his father. Although, Jaune enjoyed the comforting feeling of having his testicles actually attached to him; so he kept quiet instead.

In all honesty, he couldn't believe how close he had gotten, a few more seconds and he might've had a name. And after a quick scroll search; a picture too. And yet, without any kind of warning it was yanked away from him, and he sincerely doubted his godmother or Olivia would tell him anything at this point.

Ruby had yet to speak to him at all since the state in which she found him the night prior. In actuality, between all of his friends, only Nora and Ren held a conversation with him, the latter being a rather short and awkward one. But it was better than being ignored. When free period came, many opted to study in the school's library; others preferred a moment of leisure and chose to spend their free time in their dorms. And while it was a common choice for many first years, Jaune chose instead to run maintenance on his gear. As the first years made their way toward the library, the blond strayed stealthily, making his way towards the school's tech depot, all the while unaware of a pair of eyes that caught him sneaking away and followed him at a fair distance.

Once reaching his locker, Jaune retrieved his pack; the metal was scratched and burned every which way. It was still operational, but his stunt worked his amplifier into a nearly melted, barely operational scrap. To his luck, he was the only one in the workshop, which meant peace and quiet for disassembly. Without wasting a moment of his time, the blond gathered the necessary tools and began taking his tech apart, piece by piece. He'd been so focused on his work that he remained unaware of the pair of amber eyes fixed on him. All the while the owner of said eyes was wondering how she should approach without startling the blond too much.

As she contemplated her desired approach, hidden from the blond, she swore she heard him humming as he took apart his gear. It wasn't abnormal; many folks had their own little idiosyncrasies in regards to how they worked. But then, she started hearing words and a melody too. It almost sounded familiar, the tune she vaguely recognized, but the verse he mumbled was lost on her. So she approached. Cautiously, treading lightly as she grew closer with each inaudible step. With only a few feet separating them, she could hear him clearly, on account of his voice echoing in the workshop.

"_Welke und vergeh"_

Blake stopped, her body frozen in place. That tune; a lullaby? Rather than ponder why a hunter-in-training was singing a lullaby to himself, she wondered what exactly he was saying considering she didn't speak the language. She bit back her tongue, choosing to listen fully until he finished his verse. And, while she wouldn't admit it out right; he had a good singing voice.

"_Dein Schicksal ist vorbei_

_Wirf die Ketten ab_

_Und sei nun endlich frei_

_Take what has been hurt_

_Grant him your mercy_

_Bend and break the curse_

_And set his spirit free_

_His spirit free"_

An odd thing, he switched in between two languages, a curious way to sing a lullaby, but Blake made no ill note of it. Instead she stood still, entranced by the way he sung; it almost felt as if she were listening to an incantation. As odd it that sounds, she swore she could feel him immersing himself into the tune far more than the work he was doing.

It was only when he sung the last line that she made her presence known. By then she had come up with a way to announce her presence without startling him too much, she hoped.

_*ahem*_

It failed, miserably; not only did she startle him, but the blond accidentally dropped a tool he'd been holding on his feet, hissing in pain as she was quick to apologize for what just transpired. Though, given his sudden high-pitched yelp prior, Blake found it quite difficult to keep a straight face.

"Oum, and I thought the one who was most likely to give me a heart attack was Nora." Jaune muttered between his bated breaths. While she could see his logic in that statement, Blake chose not to comment on it since she could see it actually happening. Instead, she cleared her throat once more, looking the blond leader in the eye.

"Sorry, I didn't mean to startle you."

"Yet you did." After taking a moment to catch his breath Jaune waved her off. After the stinging pain in his foot had subsided to a tolerable state, the blond returned his focus on his work. "Anyways, what can I do for you, Blake?"

The young Belladonna had a plethora of things she had hoped to ask, though, she finds herself hesitating; wondering where it would be best for her to start. On the one hand, she was worried over the events of the night prior, and she had hoped to speak more on the particular issue. However, unless you were a bubbly red-head there was no way of getting any info out of the blond. For the most part, Blake commended Nora, whatever she did to earn Jaune's trust its effects showed.

"I just wanted to make sure you were all right." For the sake of pacing, she chose to take a 'Yang' approach, and just be forward with her intentions.

Jaune, not exactly caring for any sympathy, again waved her off and spoke with a small grin on his lips. "I'm fine, Blake, …" He paused, almost as if doubting himself for a moment as he returned his attention back to his tech.

"I'm sure…" She did not sound convincing, if anything she almost appeared more worried, especially since the blond waved off a potential threat to his life as something normal. "Ruby's also worried about you…believe it or not even Weiss asked about you to you team during breakfast."

"You mean she's worried I might not be mentally stable enough to continue attending, last thing the heiress wants is for her year to be associated with a hunter that enjoys getting back at his attackers." The blond responded with as much venom as he could muster, in the process ripping off a chunk of metal plating and exposing the inner wirings of his amplifier. After throwing the hunk of scrap aside, the blond gave his guest a sideways glance. "I'm fine, Blake. Just leave it at that." That sounded more like a plea than a request, and so Blake treated it as such, intending to continue her talk with him. Though, she took a route that would ease into her next topic of conversation.

"Alright, I'll take your word for it." She waved off, walking closer to him until she was at his side. "So, what are you working on?" Her curiosity was genuine, but her intention was focused elsewhere.

Visibly at ease now that she wouldn't continue poking at his the events of last night, the blond smiled as he set aside a few still perfectly intact cylinders from inside the pack. "Salvaging what I can from this before I send the gear back to my sis. If she's still talking to me; I can have a new amplifier by the weekend. If not…I can always ask her dad, it'll take longer though." He mumbled to himself, removing another set of wires.

This new set of information sparked a great deal of questions within the young huntress, especially the bit where he spoke as if his sibling and he had different fathers. She wouldn't judge, Oum knows she's the last person that should but it was an interesting turn of events. "You and your sister have different dads?"

Jaune didn't bother glancing her way to respond, merely chuckling a bit before answering. "No, I call her my sis 'cause we grew up together, she's had my back long before I came to Beacon; my first partner, actually…don't tell Nora." Blake couldn't help but smirk, with Nora there was no telling how she'd overreact to her partner having paired with someone before her. Normally, it shouldn't bother anyone for any reason. But this was Nora; one minute she could be calm and rational, the next she could be attempting to break your legs for shooting a dart at her ass.

With a faint nod assuring shed keep this little piece of info tight lipped, Jaune resumed.

Seeing a stall in the progression of their conversation, Blake chose to comment on the little lullaby she heard the blond lull to himself. "That was an interesting tune just now, unique too since I don't think I've heard of a lullaby sound so morbid yet so calming. Did your mom sing if for you?"

Jaune actually froze, somewhat unsettling Blake as he remained still for a few seconds. "No…she sings it…but not to me. I used to hear her singing it in full Deutsch, when the moon shone its brightest. I asked about it once; she said it was a requiem for someone close to her that died during the Crisis. She lost a lot of friends during the war…and my father too, apparently." Blakes ears perked up, the way he spoke was almost as if it were something new to him. Granted, he did reveal that he never met his father, but she assumed maybe hi family had retained some memory of him. "Did your folks fight in the Crisis?" He was genuinely curious, though, Blake wasn't so sure she wanted to answer it, especially since she knew it would reveal a great deal about herself. Although, she reminded herself Jaune had a faunus sister, and to a very comical coincidence; a feline faunus too.

So, she took a leap of faith. "I had family fighting on both sides. My grandfather and uncles fought with the Coalition, my father stood with the Allies." She kept her eyes on Jaune, waiting for some ill sentiment to cross his face, just a hint of disgust; she saw nothing. His face was as stoic as ever; granted the pacing in his work slowed. And it continued slowing to a full stop not too long after Her heart began beating a such a pace she could've sworn her chest would expose her growing fear of the situation.

Jaune placed his tools down, sighing deeply before turning his head to Blake. "Then I suppose us being here means we have a chance to make things right, where our elders went wrong. Right?" That was not at all what she expected to hear from him, although, she wouldn't deny that it was indeed an encouraging idea, to right the wrongs of the previous generation. When she nodded, the blond smiled, and rather than turning his attention back to his salvaging, he reached into his pocket and retrieved his scroll. "So, am I to assume, Ms. Belladonna…." She almost snickered at his sudden pompous tone, a playful one, but ridiculously over the top all the same. "That your name is not just a coincidence; you are related to the chieftain of Menagerie?" If her sudden bulged eyes were of any indication; Jaune had hit the nail on the head, so to speak. His smile widened. "Well, well; it looks like the ice queen isn't the only princess in Beacon."

"Please don't." She half-heartedly groaned, her tone became whisper-like in the hopes that there were no eavesdroppers.

Jaune on the other hand smirked and waved her off. "Don't worry; it's just you and me here."

"Annyeong!"

Jaune's entire body froze, the tools in his hand slipped smoothly off, clanging against the table. Blake's eyes shot towards the door, her eyes fixed on where the greeting originated from. Her eyes only averted when she heard the tools hit the wooden surface. Blake's attention was now on the blond, and if she were to be describe what emotions were being expressed; dread and guilt.

"Hej hej!" Jaune's eyes bugled for just a second, right before his gaze hardened, knowing full well what would come next following that dreadful greeting.

"Blake…" Jaune whispered, his head lowered covered by his bangs. He stood up so suddenly it made the faunus flinch. The blond took a deep breath before turning to his friend with ice old orbs. "Don't interfere." At first confused, Blake could only watch as within the span of a few seconds she saw a towering figure, possibly the same height as the blond suddenly appear right behind him with her fist raised high on the air. She was just a blur, but what stuck out were; her rather defined physique and her long café tinted hair. Blake couldn't react fast enough…but Jaune could. Mostly due to him expecting such a greeting.

Though, whereas most would defend or evade the strike; Jaune instead met her fist with his own. Blake had only a split second to catch the expression he made upon delivering his attack; it mirrored the brunette's: Rage. When their fists collided, hers struck against his left cheek, his struck her stomach. From the unsettling way their fists made contact with one another, Blake could only assume the delivered blows were enough to incapacitate.

Jaune stumbled backwards, caressing his bruised cheek while seemingly moving his jaw, assuring it had not been dislocated. Judging from the amount of force used, he wouldn't have been surprised if it was. Thankfully, he found his jaw still connected, though, looking towards his opponent; she is currently heaving heavily, small spits of saliva and vomit spewed from her mouth. Speaking of, the blond tasted iron mixed in with his own saliva. Upon spitting to the side, the evidence became quite clear; he bled from her strike, although, he expected no less.

The two brawlers staggered, only for just a moment more before standing straight, their eyes met with a fierce glare aimed at one another.

A Smug scoff escaped the blond's lips. "That all you got, Bri?" His teasing earned another blinking-fast move that ended with her body crashing against his, sending the blond crashing into a couple of nearby chairs, crushing a few in the process.

Brigitte crossed her arms with a satisfied grin, her eyes never once allowing him to leave her sight. "Bättre så?"

Blake was tempted to move towards the downed blond, however, before she could even move, a hand grips her shoulder. As she turns to the origin, she finds herself staring at a young girl a little ways shorter than Ruby. And a certain feature that caught her eyes; her feline ears; she was a faunus. This girl was the one from Jaune's photo; his sister. Then that also meant the one fighting the blond must've been the same one from the picture as well. Though the question now was why were these two here?

Jaune arose from the broken bits of the chairs beneath him. When he did, he brushed off any bits of wood or debris clinging to him before mimicking his sister's smug expression. "Inte en skråma." He replied, the brunette was visibly irritated at the effectiveness of her attack. "You holding back on me, Bri?" This taunt was what broke her patience, what little she had left to begin with. Without warning, she dove once more at him, this time; with hell and fury behind her.

Jaune prepped himself, seemingly bracing to hold her back. And when she collided with him, she only pushed him back a few meters before the blond gained ground. Holding her in place, without warning Jaune head-butted her, staggering the young mechanic. The sudden attack left an opening as the blond swiftly turned the brunette around, and German suplexed her unto a small pile of intact chairs; now just a pile of debris with Brigitte groaning painfully atop the crushed furniture.

**-Meanwhile-**

The first years, the better half for the most part, were studying quietly, few were sitting idly; waiting for their next class to start. Teams RW(B)Y and (J)NPR sat together by the windows of the library. Aside from Nora and Ruby, the rest of the small group kept quietly to themselves, with only Yang seemingly dozing off with her book threatening to come down on her.

When it was made known that their blond knight was missing, the whole had intended to go and search for him, Nora being the most motivated to search for her missing partner, Yang reassured them of their resident book-worm's attempt at getting him to talk over the events of the night prior. And while both Ruby and Pyrrha were still adamant about going to search for their friend, the heiress made it quite clear that no one was to interfere, stating the Blake had a chance to uncover some information that would give them more insight on Jaune's current emotional state. As of yet they had heard nothing from their little spy, but if she truly were having a heart-to-heart with the blond; a constant flow of texts would be a bit odd.

Nora on the other hand was more worried over how much Blake would push, she didn't push her own partner out of respect, and she had grown quite fond of the current dynamic of her team. If Blake pushed too hard her leader might bottle up, perhaps even cut off any more stories from his past that would give further insight into who he was, odd as that sounds. The red-head, unlike those around her, kept her chin resting peacefully on her palm. "I wonder what Jauney's doing right now." She mumbled to herself, wondering if he needed time alone, or if he needed his team there to support him through things. In all honesty she just wanted to know what to do, but she didn't. She wanted him to tell her how she could help, but it wasn't that simple. She wanted to be there for him, her partner; so why was it so difficult?

"If Blake managed to get him to talk, then hopefully he's feeling remorseful for torturing that trash." Weiss replied bitterly, while she certain held a great deal of disdain for the White Fang, she most certainly wouldn't condone any form of inhumane actions done towards them. The irony was not lost on her.

The sounds of loud whispers began echoing amongst the student populace, and while it garnered the attention of the six sitting together, it irked the heiress more. "Do those idiots not understand the purpose of a library?" She snarled, quietly.

_*Boom*_

A great deal of students bolted from their seats, many heading for the source of the blast; peering through the library's glass window, the whispers grew louder as more and more crowded around to catch a glimpse at the excitement.

"What's goin on?" Ruby asked, to which a random first year responded.

"There's a fight going on out there."

"Finally, some action!" The brawler was quick to bolt up and rush to the window to peek at the current show going on outside.

Meanwhile, the heiress groaned annoyingly at the outcome of what was supposed to be a time of studying. "What's so grand about some random fight? We're hunters in training; we have combat classes for Oum's sake!" She hollered at the no one in particular. To which another random first year responded.

"This one's pretty intense; they look like they wanna kill each other. They're both bleeding pretty badly too."

"Ugh, what kind of idiots would be dumb enough to attempt that in broad daylight!? On school grounds no less?!" The heiress' patience was running thin, she had half a mind to waltz right outside and give whoever was fighting a piece of her mind.

"Uhhhhh…." Yang spoke up, her eyes glued to the fight going on outside. "I don't know about the second one, but the first idiot is blond, tall, bunny, and yummy." She had no shame, but she flirted like this regularly. All of it friendly, but the only one she ever referred to with those specific examples was…

All eyes snapped to Nora as she kept her uninterested eyes forward. She heard all that going on around her, but her mind was focused elsewhere. Although, it only took a few seconds before a light bulb dinged over her head. With her eyes widened she slammed down on the table in front of her, bolting up with her chair tumbling backwards. "THAT"S MY IDIOT!" She hollered, rushing for the exit with her team and RW(B)Y right behind her.

As the six made it outside, they were met with a blond slamming hard against the concrete pavement, the floor cracked upon impact. Both parties were cut up, bleeding, bruised, but surprisingly still able to retain consciousness. To Jaune's credit, even with the hard impact, he still found energy to stand. Nora, without hesitation, rushed towards her partner, only to be stopped by a figure appearing from thin air. The amount of purple in this woman's attire was a bit much, but the way she suddenly intervened meant she intended on keeping the red-head from intervening. And while Nora didn't have her weapon, she still packed a pretty good punch.

"Not so fast, peliroja. This fight doesn't concern you." The bubbly bomber felt have tempted to not only tell this chick off, but to give her a well-deserved reason as to why this fight did indeed concern her.

"You might wanna listen to her." The group of six turned their eyes to a rather short faunus girl, her eyes fixed on her scroll with the most uninterested expression. "These two can get pretty intense; you'll get hurt if you're not careful." Beside her was Blake, looking rather nervously at the fight currently progressing in front of her.

The purple woman smiled, her attention turned back to the two brawlers. "In any case, the fights almost over anyway." All eyes fixed themselves back unto the duo seemingly on their last breaths. Brigitte was heaving just as heavily as Jaune, though, neither appeared with any intention of stopping. Taking just a moment to catch their breaths, they took a stance, aimed, and launched at one another once more. The onlookers held their breaths, Nora more so, as they watched their fists strike one another's cheeks, staggering the other back a couple ways. Both stumbled, maintaining balance, or keeping up the appearance of having control.

Within seconds, the weight of their fight caught up to them. Jaune collapsed onto his knees, desperately trying to maintain consciousness. Only to find his world growing dark and his body timbering forward. Pyrrha, Blake, and Nora rushed, or attempted to reach the blond before he hit the pavement, only to stop when the brunette kneeled down just as his head crashed unto her chest. Her arms wrapped around her his head as she held him close to her. It was a confusing sight, more so when, for no apparent reason, the brunette placed a soft kiss atop the blond's head. The mere action of it irked a few, though; no one voiced their thoughts yet.

The young faunus approached the brunette, she had placed her scroll away, her eyes now locked onto the winded engineer. Her expression was stoic, though; something was brewing deep in her, just waiting to burst forward. "Got it all out of your system?"

Brigitte nodded, running a hand gently across her sibling's hair. "Yea…I think so." She breathed out just before receiving a rather hard smack across her head. The sudden attack shocked Brigitte, more so from who the hit came from; a very angry Hana. The more frightening of this all was the fact that she held what most would assume was a gentle smile. What she bore witness to was an infamous false smile only ever pulled of so threateningly by the young faunus' mother; the good ol' doctor herself.

"Good, now that you're done trying to kill each other; get to the medbay." That last bit sent a shiver up the onlookers' spines as Brigitte hoisted the blond up into a bridal carry. Had he been awake, he would've protested to being carried off in such a way. Thankfully, he wasn't, and so Hana followed closely behind Brigitte with Olivia at her side.

The cat faunus sighs before turning her attention to the hacker. "They can't just say 'hello' like normal people, no, I have to have siblings that need to see whose stronger, whose quicker; who got more scars…" She groaned, realizing she should've come on her own rather than bring along the mechanic. Though, from what she saw during the broadcast, her brother definitely needed a new set of gear; and the little fancy Vaswani tech wouldn't cut it.

Olivia chuckled at the young girl's constant stress of having to watch her two closest siblings pummel each other as a way of both greeting and catching up with one another. At first it was just small rumbles with a few cuts and scrapes here and there. Nowadays, their brawls were just like what just occurred, more so now since the brunette was rather angered by the stunt the blond pulled, both in his fleeing from his family home and the initiation. "Girl, this is as normal as it'll ever get. Thought you'd be used to it by now."

"You'd think that, but…" Hana trailed off, the sounds of echoing footsteps indicated more company than she wanted. She gave the teams behind her a side glance, immediately noticing the white-haired Schnee. Her eyes narrowed, scoffing lightly as her eyes faced forward, unable to further look at the heiress without feeling the urge to put that girl in her place. There would be questions following what just happened, and she was in no mood to answer anything. Brigitte would be busy attending to their wounded sibling, and Olivia would only end up teasing or giving them the runaround.

Once inside the medbay, as Brigitte set the blond down and Pyrrha was closing the medbay doors, the sounds of running boots sent shivers up everyone's spines. It was only when they heard the steps come to a grinding halt and the doors being flung open that the current occupants felt dread. There stood Lacroix, for the second time that down; winded and infuriated. Behind her only made the situation all the more stressing; Goodwitch, Vaswani, and McCree were just behind the Mistrali markswoman as her icy cold glare threatened to lock on to anyone who so much as breathed. News must've traveled quite fast, that or these two were nearby when the woman gave them the news that the blond was attacked by a Fang assassin. But now, after being notified by countless students, and seeing the outcome of the interaction between the two squires, the markswoman could only muster enough to utter a simply question, mixed with as much fury as possible.

"What. The hell. Happened!?"

* * *

**A/N; Didn't see this coming did ya? What? New chapter already?...yea, there's a reason behind that…im just so giddy, this story has been a lot of fun to write, especially with the support you've all shown. Thank you, my dear readers. **

**Now, some quick heads up; I will be moving mama Ziegler's appearance to: soon. Possibly the next or after the next chapter. Over scroll or actual appearance? It shall be the good doctor in the flesh, with some more family at her side. (Spoilers, btw) And as for Jaune's father, I will not be revealing his actual name until…well, I shall let you all know, but I will be dropping little hints here and there.**

**As for anyone wondering why it is Jaune's family would go to such lengths to keep the identity of his old man a secret? Well, every family has their secrets, this is one of 'em. Much will be explained as the story progresses. Thank you all for reading. Until next time!**

**P.s. The lullaby, the first half of the verse, is the hurt incantation from the Tangled series. The second half was a little revised piece from a cover by Annapantsu, just in case anyone wants to take a peek at what was sung. Oh, and the first half was the verse in German…just thought you'd like to know. **

**Translations:**

**Deutsch: German**

**Annyeong: Hello**

**Hej Hej: Hello Hello**

**Bättre så? : Is that better?**

**Inte en skråma. : Not a scratch. **

**Peliroja: red head**

**Responses:**

**Hydroknight505: Honestly, I actually had a pairing in mind for this story, but I wanted to keep it ambiguous; a little tease there, a bit of flirting here. Though, now that I look at it, I'm wondering whether the original pairing I had in mind would work now that I think of it. Blake is an interesting choice to keep in mind, but I will be considering others as well. **

**Chendong26898: glad you like it so far.**

**Sheploo; She might, won't be the last we hear of her. (She plays a consistent role in the following story arc)**

**Josh Spicer; I agree, it does get annoying when a lot of stories don't want Jaune to attend Beacon, yet he does it anyway. Though, I will say, Ozpin's role will be less of 'Ozpin abuses his power' and more of 'everybody's at fault, but they have a valid reason'. As I said in the last chapter, I'm hoping to focus the actions of the people in my story to be more along the lines of a rather infamous quote; the hardest choices require the strongest will. **

**TheGreatSeeker; Thank you, It's taken a lot of time to integrate Overwatch and RWBY and not have it come out forced. And here's a little spoiler; there will be an organization similar to Overwatch in this universe, I'm still flipping a coin on whether to call it Overwatch or name it something entirely different.**

**Guest; Thank you, I'm glad you're enjoying the story so far. I'm trying to sprinkle in backstory and exposition little by little so it's not just a full on summary, and I'm glad to know it's working out well so far. And yea, mama Mercy is on her way soon, give or take one or two chapters. **

**Diego (Guest); I shall keep it going, and thank you.**


	6. Heart to Heart I

After most of the Beacon's workshop and courtyard was restored to their prior state, the cause of the destruction were currently recovering in the school's medbay, all the while receiving a rather heated scold from Beacon's coldest combat instructors; Goodwitch and Lacroix. Although, truth be told, from what onlookers could see; neither of the two on the receiving end of the scolding seemed relatively affected by the heated glares from the teachers. Both actually appeared bored, as if this wasn't the first time they were in such positions, and as the small group of onlookers soon discovered; that was indeed the case.

Sitting just a few feet away, the audience to the scolding was talking amongst themselves in hushed whispers, mostly with a few of the students asking questions, and only two of the Blond's family bothering to answer. Jesse and Olivia didn't stay absolutely quiet, sharing small bits of whatever the blond's friends asked. Although, while Vaswani's current frown deterred any of the student's from approaching her, Hana was by far the one that seemed determined to completely ignore the two teams. To what they had done to be recipients of her malice eluded them, though, a few ideas were thought up when she would be caught sending small glares towards the heiress. There was no explanation needed for why she did not enjoy being near a Schnee.

Blake could relate to her sentiments, however, where she assumed approaching Jaune's sister would be rather easy, considering the two were faunus, instead she was met with an expression she did not expect to receive; disgust. What made Belladonna more uneasy was the girl eyeing first her bow, then her; almost as if she knew the amber-eyed girl's secret.

"Sooooo…" Ruby trailed, watching Lacroix giving them another heated speech, only this time she was at eye level with the two seated children as she continued her rant. "This is normal…for them?" She gestured to Jaune and the injured brunette.

McCree chuckled, fiddling with an unlit cigar in his hands. "Yea, since they both started walkin' this became their way of saying 'hey there'." Both he and Olivia chuckled at the resurfaced memories of those two rumbling as kids, and soon brawling as growing adults. It was expected nowadays for the two to greet one another in this manner, their family knew and only intervened when the fight was getting out of hand or one of the two was knocked out. The fact that their spars often led to the latter left the small group uneasy, more so when the old cowboy made a small comment about the two seemingly holding back this time around.

"If you ask me I think it's a good way to keep them in shape, and on their toes." Olivia chimed in, crossing her arms while turning to the squires.

"It's barbaric." Satya curtly replied, fixing a faint glare at the aforementioned pair. She was not at all pleased with their idea of a greeting being a fist to the face.

"Maybe, but you can't deny it's amusin' ta see how far they've come. From little ankle biters ta mini Reinhardts; Ang and ol' Torb aren't too happy about it though." Jesse's comment earned a small laugh from the family, surprisingly; even from Hana. Though, the students were awkwardly quiet, the mentioned names were lost on them. Well, the last two, the first did indeed catch the attention of the students, particularly the mention of the old crusader.

After a shared moment, Hana's small frown returned, her eyes wandered to the blond goof she called a brother, to the students before her, and lastly to Satya. "When Am is done, we'll be on our way home." This made the teams rather confused and curious, was them coming here only meant to be a quick brawl, a few choice words, and then a departure? It left the group wondering how much money the blond's family had to book flights on airships for such an errand.

Satya acknowledged the young girl's statement, nodding once. Though, she was quick to throw in a little wrench to a plan she knew the girl mustered up. "Of course, however, Jaune will remain here to complete his studies." Her response was not at all what Hana expected, if her hardened glare was anything to go by.

"No, he will not." Olivia scooted a bit away from the small cat girl; McCree's eyes darted between the two. As for the students, this was the second time they've heard Jaune's family wanting to take him home, which set off quite a few alarms as this one remained firm in her decision. "He's been gone long enough, he's coming home with me; end of discussion."

"That's gonna be a bit of a problem." All eyes snapped to the young reaper, most were a bit shocked by her words; though, one was rather annoyed by them. "See, I get you miss him, and you'd like him to visit home, but we have classes right now, maybe it would be best if you wait for the holidays." She was unsure if her first assumption was true or not, but Ruby didn't want to assume that her friend's family wanted him to drop out of Beacon. Because as it stood; that was the impression she was getting from Hana's intention.

The young faunus frowned. "This is family business; don't stick your nose where it doesn't belong, runt." Ruby recoiled, feeling the venomous tone in full force she recoiled back into her seat, her head hanging low. She only just now realized she tried to weigh in on a family matter, and she had only known Jaune for a little over a week so there wasn't much she held ground on. Yang was visibly ticked by the harsh attitude thrown at her baby sister, so much so her eyes shifted to a crimson tint for a moment.

"The hell is your problem, shorty?" The brawler nearly shouted if not for the old cowboy gesturing her to keep it down, unless they'd like a scolding from the already heated professors.

Rather than respond, Hana remained silent, her eyes shifted back to her headache inducing siblings. She had nothing to say to these hunters in training, nor would she be so easily swayed from her goal. And when they returned home there would be hell to pay, mostly from their mother. She felt an elbow nudge her, gently.

"Geez, relax girl; they've been good to our hermanito…even the ice queen." Olivia gestured to the Schnee, though; it did little to sway the Faunus. As for Weiss, she gently caressed the bridge of her nose, wondering just how far that little name would continue haunting her future. "Besides, Sati and Jesse already spoke to Ozzy, only way now is if Jauney chooses to leave Beacon on his own."

Now the students were not only immensely confused, but concerned as well. Their earlier assumption was right; they wanted to take the blond out of Beacon and back to their home. Though, the reasoning behind it was still a mystery. To which the bubbly bomber of JNPR had no intention of being subtle anymore. Her teammate's family wanted him to leave Beacon, and while she had no intention of intruding on family affairs, she felt she and her friends at least deserved an explanation.

"Why do you want him to leave?" The blond's family turned their attention to the red-head, even Hana. "He's earned his place here; he's our friend, our leader…my partner." Nora aimed that title specifically at the faunus.

"It's a bit complicated, kiddo." McCree responded, rubbing the back of his head. "But don't worry, bun-bun ain't goin anywhere." He threw a stern glare at Hana, knowing full well how far the girl was willing to go to accomplish whatever she set her mind to.

The cat girl merely scoffed. "We'll see." She muttered. Before the others could respond, Goodwitch was making her way past the small group; acknowledging Vaswani and McCree with a subtle nod before leaving. All eyes were now fixed on the two squires, who were no longer under the berating yells of their aunt, but rather, were speaking to one another as Lacroix leaned against the window frame, her fingers caressing the bridge of her nose.

Without even missing a beat, Hana walked towards them, completely forgetting the rest of those present. And though the group of students attempted to approach their friend as well, McCree stepped in front, gesturing them to stay put. "Give 'em a moment. There's still some talking that needs to be done between them three."

And while there were a few who were visibly opposed to simply staying put, they opted to listen to the man instead.

As Hana grew closer she swore she could hear them bickering over something, she was only thankful it wasn't another discussion about which side a log needed to be facing to keep it dry in winter. The rants they could go on left her with a shudder, though, she was at ease when she saw the two giggling like little school kids.

Even with the two sitting on the cots, they were still vaguely taller than her. And although she was mildly jealous of their growth spurts, she was more at ease seeing her goof of a brother again, especially with him smiling again. As their eyes were now locked unto her, she took a deep breath just before bringing down a forceful fist atop the blond's head.

The strike came as a complete shock to the onlookers, but not to the recipient. Rather, this was perhaps the first time he'd been given one by this particular sister. Unlike Brigitte, Hana didn't enjoy physical altercation unless absolutely necessary, and even then she never laid a hand on three people; her mom, her brother, and Brigitte. Now, however, after the stunt he pulled; her attack came as no surprise. Instead of looking up he kept his head down in shame, unwilling to face her wrath, which only served to piss her off even more.

She took a moment to gather herself, wiping away the tears forming at the corner of her eyes. "DUMBASS!" She screeched out, her fists clenched harder; as if warning that there would be a follow up to her initial punch. "What the hell is wrong with you? Do you have any idea the hell you put us through?" Her words dug into his guilt. Hana's voice was threatening to break as she paced back and forth.

Seeing her distraught sibling attempting to keep herself from breaking down, Brigitte took over. "I mean seriously Jaune; what were you thinking? We thought you'd been taken…again." The brunette placed a hand on the blond's shoulder. "Angela was tearing Zurich apart to find you…and I mean that literally."

Oh he knew, he had noticed an increase in activity amongst the usually quiet city as his bullhead pulled away from Zurich. He had hoped it was some other kind of emergency, but most likely, it was his mother going on a rampage after discovering her youngest child missing."

Hana stopped pacing, if only to jab her finger into his chest, roughly. "And all of it without leaving a goddammed note." She hissed, earning a guilt filled expression from her sibling. "…why?"

That damned question followed by her hushed whisper was what nearly broke him as Hana gripped the collar of his uniform, and with surprising strength, pulled him closer to her snarling face. She looked absolutely feral, at the same time she had a small stream of tears running down her cheeks. She was torn between ripping the blond doofus infront of her to shreds, or be ever grateful he was still in one piece despite his idiotic actions up until the current point. She could opt for both, but she had made enough of a scene as is.

Realizing the audience present, Hana recomposed herself as best she could, although, nothing could've prepared her for what the blond would utter next.

"I think a better question should be; why didn't I do it sooner?" Those damned words echoed in her head, digging deep at her as she slowly turned to face him. Her eyes were wide with disbelief, as was her family.

"What?" She whispered, daring him to repeat what he just said, if her fist was of any indication; she was going to respond violently. Brigitte noticed, her body shifted in order to intervene should her siblings actually throw fists.

Jaune had dug himself a rather impressive hole, he was aiming to remain silent, keep everything bottled in, and just accept the verbal berating. He didn't care much; he was used to it after all. However, in this one moment, when faced with one of the vey reasons he chose to leave home; all his anger and frustration came bubbling up, and he wasn't so sure he could keep it all contained any longer. Hana was by no means the sole reason he ran away, but she played a big part in that decision.

Instead of answering her, he remained silent, hoping to not allow any further transgression to come up between them. However, his silence only provoked an already bubbling anger within his older sibling, causing her to grit her teeth, snarling at just the mere sight of the blond.

The silence remained, even when she grabbed his collar again, demanding him to explain his choice of words. He stayed quiet, and her anger only burned brighter, among other swirling emotions raging in her. Although, before she was able to react in any way, Hana felt a firm hand grip her shoulder. She turns her head to give a side-glance, a small buildup of tears were threatening to break out as she threw a hostile glare at whoever just intervened. To no surprise, she found herself being stared down to by the now stern glare from the cowboy.

"That's enough of that now; I'll take it from here." He could see her visibly try to argue, to demand she interrogate her sibling and get to the bottom of his choice of words. But, she must've realized not too long after that she wouldn't win at the moment, and the blond was less than inclined to speak with her.

Reluctantly, she released her grip and chose to step aside, all the while glaring at her sibling with a mixture of anger and fear. The latter came from recalling the times in her life he reached out for her, begging for help; and she stood with her mother on the decisions she made. Jaune running came as no surprise, she knew he must've harbored some form of ill sentiment towards them, but the young pilot had also hoped that he understood why they had to keep him protected, that he knew the people after his mother would use him to get to her as they've done before.

And yet, as the old cowboy silently gestured the blond to accompany him, she finds herself wondering if she had made the right choices. Wondering if the decisions to protect him were indeed for his safety, or simply for peace of mind. A pain in her chest ached with each step he took away from her.

As the blond and his uncle left the room, the few that remained slowly dispersed; the students being guided back to class, leaving Hana with Brigitte and an oddly silent Olivia.

The silence didn't reign as the purple themed hacker approached the deathly still pilot.

"Hey, you ok amiga?" Before her hand could so much as brush her shoulder, Hana wiped away at her eyes before turning back to face her family.

"Yea…" She muttered, her eyes fixed themselves on the slowly disappearing bodies of her uncle and sibling. "But this isn't over." She snarled. Gesturing the two girls to follow her, the trio followed at a fair distance as to not arouse suspicion, unbeknownst to them of a student with amber eyes trailing closely behind them.

**-Later, in Vale-**

"I'm not gonna hear the end of this."

"Quit your complainin', we'll be back before they even notice."

It was an odd sight, a middle-aged man in what appeared to be a western garb, hat and all, sitting across from what most rightly assumed was a Beacon student, having a conversation in the outdoor patio of a café in downtown Vale. They caught a few eyes peering their way, and it was no surprise as to why, both were famous by name, though the blond mostly to whom he shared his name with.

Jaune stirred nervously, uncomfortable with both the stares and the fact that his uncle took him out of school again. It was one thing to be taken to a diner just down the road from school; it was another to take him by bullhead to a city across a small gulf to have a chat.

Another thing that made him uncomfortable were the stares his uncle and he attracted from passerbies, a fair few from kids who saw the cowboy on their scrolls from time to time, and a few from some maidens whom giggled at the sight of the old vaquero. The blond as well garnered a few second glances, mostly from folks who saw Beacon's initiation, and probably recognized his mother's name.

"So…" McCree started, taking a rather whisper-like sip from a brand of tea he had ordered.

"Auntie Satya did a number on you didn't she?" Jaune remarked, his lips tugged a smirk. If his comment irked his uncle, the man didn't show it, instead he chose to remain calm and place his cup down. "Can't remember the last time you drank something that didn't have some kind of alcohol in it."

McCree smirked, reaching into his armor, within seconds he pulled out a small flask, his own grin won out as he took a small swig from it. After taking a small fill, he flashed a faint grin towards his nephew. "Just don't tell Satya."

"Don't tell her what?"

McCree chuckled, ruffling the blond's head, relishing in the small snippets of himself he passed on to the boy. "That's my boy." His breath reeked of whiskey and green tea. Quite a combination, but the blond was able to distinct the two smells from one another.

They laughed off their antics for a moment, allowing themselves to enjoy a second of brief pleasantries before diving in to what Jesse had brought him out here for. Jaune knew he'd have to talk; no way would he be squirming his way out of this. In all honesty, he really just wanted this all to be brushed under the rug and forgotten, but under no circumstance would he return home unless by his own accord. And he had no intention of speaking to or seeing his mother at the moment; realizing quickly that if he was mouthing off absentmindedly to his sister, he could only wonder what more would gush out if he spoke to his mother. He loved her, he really did; but there were some choice words he had for the woman that would possibly strain their relationship much further than what it was before he left.

Jesse as well was lost in thought; his attention was focused on how he'd approach this subject without stepping on a nerve. Be straightforward was something his nephew and Angela were well known for, though, when it came to sensitive issues, both were equally, and annoyingly, reluctant to so much as touch on the subject. The preference for the Ziegler family seemed to be to avoid the subject all together, a rather irritating habit the boy picked up.

"…so, how's school?" The man had hoped to exchange pleasantries before diving into the main subject.

To which, Jaune chuckled, taking a sip from a tea he ordered. "It's only been a week, but it's better than I expected. I'm handling my studies pretty well, and my team is always on top of their training sessions so no one is getting rusty any time soon." He dry-chuckled that response. A brief moment of silence passed before he quickly inquired. "I also caught an assassin last night." Jesse's eyes bugled as he choked on his beverage. Although, Jaune remained unaffected by his uncle's sudden outburst. "Yea, she got closer this time. She's cuter than I remember." So it seemed he knew his attacker, especially since he mentioned the two meeting prior. "Honestly, if this turns out to be like Lena and Amelie…I think I'll actually make a move before this one runs off with someone else."

By now the old cowboy burst out laughing, Jaune following shortly after as the two were lost in their little inside joke. Both were completely unaware of the collective stares they gathered from their outburst.

After a moment of bliss, the two managed to calm down, McCree's eyes focused first on his drink, then to his nephew. "Ya know, I can't remember the last time I've seen you joke about something like this."

"Couldn't have been that long." The blond argued, his eyes wandered around, seeing a collective sight of folks from walking the streets, a small crowd gathered a little ways away, their whispers and fingers pointed towards the old cowboy, fans apparently. Wasn't too surprising, MSZC was one of the more remembered hunters from the Crisis, especially their dear old angel. Of course, most remember the other members for a variety of reasons, McCree for his partnership to the Vaswani heiress and his role nearing the end of the Crisis.

"Yer right, lemme correct myself; it's been too long where you've laughed and actually meant it." The tension was beginning to thicken as the blond noted the change in his uncle's tone. It wasn't threatening or cold like what he was used to, but the old cowboy could be stern and stubborn when he needed to be. McCree leaned over, slightly, locking his eyes unto the now uncomfortable blond. "Now tell me what exactly you meant by 'should've done it sooner'." He decided on being direct. Not the best approach given who he was speaking to, but in all honesty he couldn't dance around the subject, not when there was the risk of him deciding to never return home. Or worse; disappearing for good the next time around.

Jaune fiddled with his cup, his eyes wandered away, though, he could feel his uncle's gaze still locked unto him. For him, opening up was never an issue, but when it came to this subject, he wasn't so sure he wanted to unload all of his emotions at that moment. Or rather, he didn't want to blow up in a public space. And given recent events he preferred not to risk saying too much. "It just came out…I didn't mean it."

"Then look me in the eye and say it." He didn't flinch at the man's words; the blond was used to the stern tone. "Or, you can cut the crap and tell me what's been botherin ya."

Sighing lightly, Jaune's eyes wandered their way back to his uncle. The man had a fixed stare on him; nothing meant for intimidation for threatening by any means, it was simply one of the few times he got serious. The blond was tempted to look away, though; he knew the damned cowboy would only further pry. Reluctantly, Jaune sighed faintly, of all his family there was few he could share easily with; Jesse was one of them.

Though, he intended to tread lightly on why he ran away, tossing the man a bone might be enough to get his curiosity to simmer down. "I hated my life." His choice of words garnered the reaction he was expecting, though, he was far from done, and he didn't intend to keep the lid closed any longer. Nervously, he averted eye contact once again, turning his eyes to the constant flow of passerbies. "Back home, everything moment of my life was under surveillance, my mother made sure she knew where I was at all times, she chose my classes, ran background checks on my friends, sent people to bring me home if it looked like I was going to be late for my curfew…" His teeth grit as he managed to get a hold on his tone before threatening to burst. "I was rarely ever allowed to leave the house, and thanks to Olivia and Hana, sneaking out was next to impossible. Every dinner my mother hosted I was kept close to her or whoever from our family was attending…and…" He was trembling, lightly. Jesse noticed immediately, though, he reluctantly said nothing, choosing to wait and hear whatever else his nephew would share. Though, to hear the exact living conditions his nephew was living under, he began to understand the boy's choice of words. Normally, he assumed this was all dramatized, exaggerated for effect. But, given this was Angela, and the events she had to deal with since having her son; he could definitely see the woman doing all of this. Jaune continued. "In all of those damned parties, every time I was with her; I felt more like some expensive porcelain doll than a son."

Now this caught the cowboy off-guard; not the swearing, but rather, how the boy saw himself. "Never allowed to be approached or interacted with, to be simply be seen and admired." His trembling increased. "To everyone in Zurich…" His eyes returned to glare directly at his uncle. "And, I mean EVERYONE; I was always seen as Mercy's boy, or Angela's son. No matter what I did people only knew me because of my mother; no matter what I accomplished in my old school…everything I did was expected of me because I was a Ziegler."

His trembling was calming as his took in deep breaths. His eyes glanced towards Beacon as a faint grin etched itself across his face.

"But in Beacon, even though people know my name, it's different. I'm not just Ziegler. I'm just Jaune." Snippets of his friends flashed in his head.

A smirk edged across the cowboy's lips, rarely did he see such a fond expression on the boy, and now he knew why. As much as he loved his old teammate, even he could see why his nephew felt that running away was his best option at getting a taste at the freedom he could only dream of, watching as others had the choice of how they lived their lives, all the while he was bound to a set of rules and restrictions.

"I love my mom, I really do, and Hana…I couldn't ask for a better sister. But all of this was for me. Selfish, I know, but if I didn't, I would've lived the rest of my life as an antique in that damned house."

"Would ya be willing to go back?" McCree asked, leaning a little closer.

Jaune pondered the question for a moment before ultimately shaking his head. "No. Not right now." His eyes refocused back on the tower of Beacon. "I still have something to prove here." Realizing he might've said too much, the blond quickly rose up and excused himself, walking away to catch his breath.

All the while McCree kept an eye on him until he was a good way away before pulling out a scroll from under the table. There was a connected call, and judging by the caller id, on the other end was the blond's mother, listening in on their conversation.

"You got all that Ang?" Silence. "Ang?"

"_She had to step out for a bit, I don't think she expected to hear that." _An old familiar voice pipes through the call, giving McCree a sigh of relief.

"Hmm, same here. Didn't expect to hear anything at all actually, I'm surprised he told me anything…Did you know about all of that?"

"…_I did, but I swear it was for his own good. You've seen what those animals have done to him. Satya told us of the recent assassination…this is what we wanted to avoid, Angela just wanted her son to be safe. By the gods Jesse they took his arm, and that's nothing compared to what they did to him when he was a baby."_ McCree remembered vividly; the blood, the crying, the anger and fear irradiating from the mother of the child. Jesse reached into his armor once more and took a peek at a photo taken at the birth of his nephew. His mother held onto him as she lay in the hospital bed, holding him tightly with the widest grin and warmest tears she had shed. In her arms was her first born, her only child, sleeping peacefully in her arms. What stuck out was the extra pair of elongated, fluffy ears twitching faintly.

The first time they took him was when Angela became so overprotective…even calling her that was putting it mildly. McCree shivered at the memory of seeing his nephew, bawling like a banshee through that damned video as his kidnappers held his bloodied severed ears in their hands. Nothing stopped Angela that night, the bodies they buried were a testament to the old saying 'an angel can be merciful for so long, but when they snap, even the devil trembles.'

"I remember, Reeha." He muttered, hating the reminder of the time he was so useless to help his own family, especially in the moment he was needed most. "Poor kid doesn't even know he's a faunus, lived his whole life thinking his human…I suppose it helps that Ang is human, and he takes more like her than…" He didn't finish that train of thought, he couldn't. The only thing the boy took after his father were those damned rabbit ears. "And he doesn't even remember what happened that night…actually, that's probably for the best." McCree took a long swig from his flask, several actually till he damn near left it empty. "Although, it'll be one helluva surprise when he was kids." The cowboy chuckled, intending to change the mood and topic.

"…_McCree."_ She almost sounded as if she were pleading, mostly for him to stop.

But he didn't, and he wouldn't. It wouldn't take long for the boy to return, and he needed to get this weight off his chest. "It's no wonder he doesn't trust us; can't seem to find it in us to tell him anything 'cause Ang wants to keep it all a secret. The fuck does she think that'll accomplish, if anything it'll just drive him to look for answers on his own, just you see. Wouldn't be surprised if he finds out about his old man on his own."

"Jesse." She voice grew harsh; the cowboy was treading on dangerous waters. And knowing the blond was close by; she hoped to keep him from babbling.

"I mean, what the fuck is so hard about telling him; Jaune, yer actually a faunus."

"What?" The simply question stunned the cowboy as he slowly turned his head to see the face of his nephew, staring at him wide-eyed.

If the boy wasn't fuming with rage inside, he knew damn well the Vacou woman and her mother would rain hell down on him for sputtering that out loud. To be fair to McCree, the idea that they would hide the boy's heritage was ludicrous to him, but to Angela, it tied back to the boy's father, a subject she was adamant on keeping hidden, for reasons even Ana and Reinhardt knew nothing about.

Realizing how badly he had just screwed up, McCree took a final long swig from his flask, ended the call without hesitation, and steeled himself for the conversation that would follow.

"She's gonna kill me, I know it." Jesse muttered. He gathered his nerves up before turning to his nephew. "Son, sit down, there 're somethings I need to tell ya. And…it's been a long time coming…"

Unbeknownst to McCree, from the settlement of Zurich, an airship was set to depart, waiting patiently for the passengers to board, to sail to Beacon, and to meet with a missing piece of family they yearned to get back.

At whatever cost.

**Well, work has been grueling, and it's not even our busiest time of the year yet either. To those who say I should put this in the crossover section…I'm not gonna do that. To me, a crossover is when characters from two entirely different worlds interact via visiting each other's worlds. Like if a character from RWBY went into the Overwatch world by some supernatural or Sci-fi scenario. Whereas I don't see a story in which the two worlds are fused into one as a crossover. That's my view on it, some of you won't share that opinion, and I respect that. But I stick to my own opinion and Rally will remain where it is. Again, it's an opinion, not a fact. I could be wrong, hell I probably am. **

**Moving on, this story is hella fun to write, and so far I'm trying to keep a monthly upload timeline for all my stories, and this time I wanna stick to it. So, I hope this chapter was worth the wait. And yes I know it's shorter than what I usually write, but given that I've been swamped with double-shifts and having family staying over and occupying my attention, I'm more amazed I got this done at all. **

**The future chapters will be longer of course, and I'm moving Mama Mercy's appearance to after the incident at the docks. Around that time it shall be revealed who Jaune's father is. Thank you all for reading.**


	7. Revelations

Silence, there was nothing that could be said to diffuse the fury boiling over as the clenched fists of a young blond were tightened to the point of turning white. Jesse, perhaps due to the liquor, had let slip some rather interesting information regarding his nephew. And to his credit, rather than try to sweep it under the rug; the cowboy addressed it, spilling his guts to the boy, recalling every gruesome detail. At first there seemed to be an essence of guilt etched in his expression, as if the boy came to understand his mother's overprotectiveness. And he did…initially. But that understanding soon became anger; his mother was human, no question there. Given that faunus genes tend to be dominant, it meant that his faunus traits were inherited from his old man. And as it turned out, that was his mother's reasons for hiding his heritage.

It was evident from the barely restrained fury bubbling on the surface; Jaune only needed a small nudge for the lid to blow off. Luckily for them, the balcony on the second floor was mostly deserted, allowing the two to have a conversation without too much a fear of prying ears.

"So let me get this straight…" He spoke through clenched teeth; his eyes kept furrowed shut, and if looked upon closely; a vein was pulsating on his forehead. Jesse could assume how this conversation would pan out, though, he chose to wait and hope for less of an outburst than what he's expecting. "The reason I was target…the reason I've BEEN targeted all this time is because the Fang wants to get back on my mother for marrying my father?" It sounded so ridiculous, it had to be fabricated, there was no way the an entire organization would kidnap and mutilate an infant just because one of their own decided to shack up with a human…then again, thinking back on it, with all the new fanatics joining up maybe there was a nugget of truth to Jesse's story, though, Jaune remained skeptical.

Jesse took a puff of his cigar, taking a moment to enjoy the taste of his pick of poison before answering. "It's a bit more complicated than that."

"Then explain." Jaune growled, his patience dissipating with each passing second.

From Jesse's viewpoint, the way the boy demanded answers was eerily akin to how his mother would normally 'ask' for something she wanted. Taking the fact that there folks around them, he attempted to be as discrete as he could. "…" But then, he also kept in mind the promise he made to Angela; to avert at all cost revealing the identity of who the boy's father really is. Of course, given the life style the blond had chosen for himself, McCree was sure that his nephew would eventually find out on his own. Even so, if only for this one instance, he intended to keep the name, give the boy bits and pieces so as to keep his promise to his friend while still giving the boy a chance to find out on his own. "You know the history of the White Fang right? How it was created in an effort to establish peace and promote equality for all?" When Jaune nodded, he continued, though, he leaned closer, his words more hushed as to keep the following details between themselves. "When you ask, folks will say it was ol' Belladonna who founded the group, well that's not entirely true. Ghira was the figure head, the face everyone thought of when the White Fang was mentioned; but behind him were the original members of the Fang. Your dad was one of 'em." This sudden bombshell caught the blond completely by surprise, and if his expression was anything to go by; the lad was still attempting to process the information given to him of his true heritage. His father was one of the founding members of the White Fang, back when the initial intention of the group was for equality through peace. And yet, something changed along the way. Was his father part of the reason for the shift?

McCree took another small puff before his eyes locked onto his nephew. "Before the Crisis ended there was a planned coup against ol' Belladonna, his own friends thought the man was too soft on his approach for Faunus rights, and while your dad wasn't the head of the operation; bastard was damn sure a big part of it. But then…guess you can say Angela worked a miracle; 'cause the bastard was as stubborn as a mule. Can't go too much into detail, wasn't there for most of it anyway, but whatever happened; didn't take too long before he left the group. When he did; said he wanted to raise a family after the war, live a normal life…then it all went to shit." He growled out. "Old man Kahn didn't take too kindly to one of his own just dropping out of the plan, worse even when he found out he was marrying a human…thankfully, Kahn never got to do anything against your dad or your mom…I made sure of it." The cowboy reaffirmed with a faint glint, patting his hip where his revolver was holstered. "Everything they've done up until now is a personal vendetta from Kahn's daughter; Sienna."

"You'd think she would've learned after…the first time." Jaune mumbled, his mind having not yet processed the fact that he was a faunus just yet.

The cowboy chuckled lightly. "Guess common sense doesn't apply to fanatics." He had hoped to ease the tension, and while it barely alleviated the awkward tension, Jaune's stern glare was still present despite a faint snort at his uncle's jab. Realizing they wouldn't get anywhere at this pace, Jesse took an approach he should've done from the beginning, though he hoped the response would not come back to bite him too harshly. "Look, son, I know this is all a mess; but you gotta understand; your mom only ever wanted what was best for you. Granted, Ang didn't exactly handle all the secrets well…but I know she did everything for you."

The boy had to resist the urge to scoff at the man's words. Maybe they were true, perhaps partly, but given the way he's been kept in the dark over a great many things in his life that were just now coming to light; Jaune no longer felt any regret or guilt with his decision to run away from home. He felt even more justified, and he had another set goal in mind; to find out who his father was, and why exactly his mother wanted to hide the man's identity from him.

Meanwhile, not too far from their table sat a trio, listening in on the cowboy and student's conversation. To say they were shocked was an understatement. At least for two of them, the purple-themed woman was busy holding back her anger, remembering the night she was asked to locate the origins of a video sent to Angela, but out of curiosity she had taken a peek at the contents…and she regretted it. She could never unsee the way the Fang so gleefully cut off the blond infant's rabbit ears, his piercing screams and pleas for his mother would forever haunt the hacker. Her body still trembled at the mere trigger of the memory, recalling vividly every moment of that damned video. She had never felt so vulnerable in her life, sobbing uncontrollably. The frame in which she paused the video would be the reason she would have nightmares the years that followed.

Brigitte was well aware her brother was a faunus, she was there when he was born. However, when she first saw him without his ears, her father had told her he lost them due to an accident, and pleaded with her to not mention it to him. But to hear this, of what was done to him, the lengths individuals would go simply for petty revenge; it made her blood boil. She felt an overwhelming urge to march up to him and envelope the boy in a bone-crushing embrace, keeping him safe from any further harm. Though, given recent events; the last thing she wanted to do was give her brother another reason to push his family away.

As for Hana; she was simply shocked. Angered? Yes, she wanted to find those bastards that harmed her sibling and 'liberate' the burden of life from them, though, she had no doubt her mother had already dealt that blow long ago. And yet, she couldn't help but shudder at the image of her brother's faunus traits being cut off at such a young age. Therein lay another new slap of information that graced her mind; Jaune was a faunus. It presented a plethora of questions that she was sure would not be answered any time soon, not to mention there was the issue over whether the Brigitte and Olivia knew of this as well.

Lost in their own thoughts, the trio didn't realize the blond had risen from his seat.

"Where are you off to?" The old cowboy wasn't expecting the boy to leave so quickly.

"I need to clear my head; I'll meet you back at the school." Jaune didn't even wait for a response as he turned to walk away, only for his uncle to call out to him.

"Hold on, I'm coming with ya."

"No." If only for the faintest moment, there was bitterness in his tone, and it came more as an order than a suggestion. "I need to be alone right now." Realizing his presence would only do more harm than good to his nephew's current emotional state, McCree reluctantly sat back down, watching as his nephew walked back into the shop, and presumably to take a rather long stroll through the city. Not that he'd blame the boy, it was a lot to take in; and given that Angela was surely going to be on her way over, the clock was counting down to the inevitable face-off between the two blonds. As much as he wanted to side with the boy, McCree also understood the importance of Angela's secrets, as well as understanding why she probably felt the boy wasn't ready. Of course, there were somethings the old cowboy felt the lad deserved to know, however, he didn't feel it his place to tell him everything. Angela spun this little web, and sooner or later her little boy would unwrap and discover her many secrets, it was only a matter of time.

Unbeknownst to the old cowboy, or the trio not too far away, a third party had been listening in, their eyes focused solely on the blond as he made his way into Vale, and soon towards the docks. Wasting no time, the amber-eyed unknown moved, shadowing the blond closely as he made his way through the busy crowds of the down-town district.

* * *

**-Vale Docks-**

Settling on a bench facing the ocean, the blond slumped into his seat as the sea breeze invaded his senses. The soft cool air was peaceful enough, though, he could do without the smell of fish from the barges docking at the ports. Having lived inland most of his life, enjoying only the ever so special occasion of a morsel of seafood, the blond wasn't used to the coast. The smell of salt in the air and the constant blowing horns of the barges were new to him.

Still, it was a nice enough change of pace from the usual smell of pines and freshly picked thyme, or the recently caught game his opa brought home often. Regardless of the consistency, the one thing the blond never minded being a routine was helping clean and prepare venison or boar. Just imagining the scent of roasted pork and the sounds of his grandfather humming some old tune from his time gave the blond a sense of nostalgia; a longing for home. It was a welcomed moment that helped distract from the bombshell of information given to him by his uncle.

He wanted to know more about his family, specifically his father, he wouldn't deny that. However, given what he learned, his mind was clouded with many more questions. Of course, it did not change how he felt about the White Fang, there was no sense of kinship from this discovery; to Jaune these were still fanatics. His hatred towards the terrorist organization had not changed, but it made him wonder what exactly his father's role in the group was.

Slouching forward, his head hung low; the realization finally settled in; he was a faunus. A flurry of emotions brewed in his head; fear and anger being the main sentiments sending him into emotional turmoil. The anger came from the woman who chose to keep this all a secret, to have him believe he was human all his life, convincing him that his ability to pick up on smells and hearing were attributed to his semblance. As if the enhanced vision at night was of any indication, the signs were all there; and yet through the trust he had in his mother he chose to adhere to her story of his senses being enhanced by his semblance. And in some odd way, he could see how she managed to convince him, but, how exactly would she have explained it to him if he ever chose to have kids.

A morbid image came to mind, one he knew would never happen, but he foresaw within the realm of possibility. It was him living at home, metaphorically chained to his mother's side, never being allowed to have lived a life of his own, the woman having complete control over him. It scared him, but even he knew his mother would never stoop so low.

The fear; that came from the realization of how he was going to be treated should this little piece of information be known to his classmates, worse if his uncle's words held truth to him. He already imagined a livid heiress demanding is expulsion just for having connections to the White Fang, and an immediate arrest for being the son of one of the founders of the organization. He shuddered, remembering all the mistreatment his sister went through, all the harassment she suffered just for being different.

The only shred of comfort he had was Oobleck's praises of his father, revering him rather than condemning him. And hell, McCree wasn't too harsh on his old man either, a few jabs here and there but he expected no less.

And then another face came to mind; Blake. Her father was the original head of the Fang, which he knew already. But, how would she react knowing his father was a part of a plot to depose her father? She'd probably be wary of him; maybe her opinion wouldn't change too drastically. One thing he knew for certain; she'd probably get a kick out of the bit where his father left the Fang for a human.

Actually, the mere image of how that conversation between his old man and Kahn could've gone was enough to bring a smile to his lips. Even a dry chuckle escaped his lips.

"Irony's a bitch." He muttered. Ignoring the rest of the world as his hand dug into his pocket, retrieving his scroll. Taking a quick peek at the time he knew by now classes would be over even if he rushed it back to Beacon. Knowing he'd be on the receiving end of a lecture from his godmother and the headmaster's second hand, the blond chose to make his trek back to school as slow and calm as possible. He was in no hurry, and at the moment, he just wanted to be left alone with his thoughts. Or rather, he wanted to try to understand what his other was thinking hiding his heritage from him, and what convinced her that it was the best route for her to take.

Though, as it was finally settling in, Jaune didn't exactly feel any different with the revelation of his heritage. Being a faunus wasn't exactly a big deal, and he still detested the White Fang with a great passion. Of course, with his faunus traits having been cut off at such an age he wouldn't exactly remember having them. But then, there was one issue; whether or not to share this bit of information with his teammates, and his school for that matter. His application had him listed as human, and while he looked the part, a simple blood test would disprove that. Taking a moment to think it over, Jaune decided for the moment to only tell the headmaster, see what he had to say on the matter. While he was wary of Ozpin, he had to give credit to the man for not giving up his students to pissed off families so easily. /

After reaching the last bullhead to Beacon, the blond sat alone near the back, his eyes locked unto the scenery of the coast beneath him. It was a sight to admire, he wouldn't deny that, but his heart yearned for the highlands and dense forests he called home. The stewardess approached him, cautiously mind you.

"Excuse me, there seems to be a problem with the bullhead's engine, and there are no other available commercial ships to take to Beacon at this time." She was oddly timid, for reasons he knew not nor did he particularly care for. Though, the issue with the bullhead did annoy him.

"Shouldn't the pilots have reported the problem before allowing the passengers to board?" He asked, trying to hide his annoyance.

"Well, yes, but the engine problem was caught on their third diagnostic. They preferred not to take any risks. I'm truly sorry for the inconvenience. There will be another bullhead ready first thing in the morning."

Knowing there wasn't a point in arguing, the blond nodded, rose up and made his way outside the bullhead, and just as he was about to exit, he ran into another passenger exiting, caught by surprise as this unknown yelped just before falling backwards. Meanwhile, he only staggered a bit before regaining his footing.

After managing to get a closer look at the individual he sent tumbling, he smirked, mostly at her annoyance. "I swear, I thought cats were supposed to land on their feet." He commented, earning an owlish glance from the girl, just before she realized who she bumped into. Jaune extended a hand, to which she reluctantly accepted. "And before you ask; I said cat cause of your father…I could be wrong. And if I am, I apologize."

Her mouth opened for a moment, shutting when she realized her question had been answered before she got a chance to ask.

"In any case…" Jaune muttered, taking a few steps back towards Vale. "It looks like we're both stuck in the city for the night." As he was about to descend from the platform he reached for his scroll, typing a message to someone before quickly shoving the device back into his pocket. "I'd ask why you're in the city today, but that's your own reason." He stopped just halfway down the stairs. "If you're hungry, would you care to join me for dinner?"

The young Belladonna was, for lack of a better word, taken aback by his forwardness. While she knew he meant it as a simple invite between friends for a meal, others would perceive it in a different light. Just as she was about to answer, she heard a symphony of buzzing and dings from the blond's pocket. The fact that he seemed unfazed by the flurry of incoming messages he was receiving was impressive.

"What'd you have in mind?" She asked, slowly walking down the stairs to join him just as he was muting his scroll.

The blond picked nervously at his cheek before thinking of a small shop he saw before leaving the pier. "Well…"

* * *

**-Vale Docks-**

Blake was positively over the moon, while she wasn't a fan of the loud brass instrumentals playing in the background, nor the fact that the staff spoke in a language she knew next to nothing about; the abundance of options in seafood dishes made her more just as giddy. The architecture of the building was akin to what she associated with coastal settlements in Vacuo, and quite a few in the southern regions of Menagerie. Still, it was quite a sight to see the blond interact with the waitress in their language, more so when he ordered himself a drink right off the bat. Judging by the need for the staff to see an ID, she could guess what sort of beverage her companion ordered. As she peered into the selection of dishes, salivating at the many choices she had before her, as well as dishes of different varieties she was positively giddy to try, she peeked at her classmate, noting his attention caught by some program playing on a screen for the whole restaurant to see. Curiosity getting the better of her; she too took a peek.

_Woman 1; Porque usted solamente es Buena para hablar y para dar ordines porque usted es de las perras que ladran_ _…y no muerden._

_*slap*_

_Woman 2; Pues aqui esta la primera mordida _

_*le slap*_

_Woman 1: Pues yo tambien soy perra…y muerdo. _

Judging by the dramatic music and the over the top acting she could only assume the program to be some soap opera her own mother enjoyed watching, though, she swore the ones her mother watched were eerily similar to the style these showed. And while she did not understand a word the actors on screen were spouting, she could at least allow the faint nostalgia of her with her mother watching these kind of programs to seep in.

Taking a glance at her companion, her eyes widened a bit when she watched their waitress place what appeared to be a third bottle beside the blond. He thanked her, and continued watching the program with a faint smile on his lips. While the amount of alcohol he was consuming was a bit worrisome, took note of some staff emerging from the kitchen. A few had noticeable traits of faunus, others less so. The customers were no different, though, there was one consistency; there was laughter and cheer all around. There were no bickering folks about which race was superior, there were no activists or ill will amongst these folks. What she saw was gossip, small banters and songs to go with the ever so loud brass still playing in the background at such a level it was a miracle anyone was able to hear the program on the screen.

"It's nice, isn't it?" Blake's head turned to the blond, who was finally glancing at his menu. "No fighting, no hatred; only folks having a good time, eating good food…and making a scene." He gestured to a table just near the door; the group occupying it had all stood up with their mugs raised high as they sung off tune with the brass.

Blake allowed a faint chuckle to escape her lips as she answered. "Yea, it is nice." And she meant it; this was what the White Fang wanted…or rather, what she wanted. Humans and Faunus living beside one another, sharing moments like these… "Would be better without the music though."

Jaune chuckled a bit, nodding his head whilst also rubbing the back of his scalp. "I agree, but don't tell my sister that, she lives for this. Every so often she would take me to a restaurant like this one in Zurich. No music, thank Oum…" He gave her a sly grin, to which she returned it with her own grin. "Though, there's a lack of options when regarding the menu. For instance, seafood isn't as abundant or popular in Zurich so all of this is kind of foreign to me." He gestured to the pages of fish dishes.

Blake's hand twitched, ever so slightly. "You've never had fish before?" Her tone was whisper-like.

"I've had it, but I can't really say I was a big fan of it." Just hearing him speak caused one of her eyes to twitch, all the while she retained a smile, however difficult it had become to do so. "Honestly, beef and pork is where the better taste lies." Almost upon hearing such blasphemy, Blake's grip on the table left a rather impressive dent as she did her best to keep up an appearance. All the while the blond sported a shit-eating grin. Boy knew exactly what he was doing; fanning the flame needless, solely to amuse himself.

"Heresy." Blake snarled, quietly. Of course, the blond heard her. His snickering was evident enough.

"You kids ready to order?" The waitress had just appeared seemingly out of nowhere, and just as the blond was going to respond, Blake immediately interjected.

"We still need time. And can I get some green tea please?" With a faint nod, the waitress left them.

As she left, the blond turned to Blake. "I should've asked for a mug." He muttered, realizing he had finished his latest bottle already. Blake was both in awe and slightly worried over the pace in which the blond was able to down alcohol and not feel its effects. Jaune's eyes wandered from his empty bottle to the menu once more.

Another wave of vibrating buzzing sounds came from the boy's scroll, to which he continued to ignore, though; it was beginning to worry his companion a bit.

"Shouldn't you get that?" She gestured to the blond's pocket, his eyes still glued to his menu.

Jaune sighed, tiredly, before sparing a faint glance at his companion. "My team knows I didn't make the last shuttle home, I also informed our professors of the situation. For now, all we can do is just until the next shuttle tomorrow." Jaune stated, raising two fingers to signal another bottle. While Blake wanted to say something, her curiosity got the better of her as she stayed silent, watching the waitress actually bring a giant mug of whatever alcohol he was drinking. She must've throw some snide remark at him, judging by their playful glares aimed at one another before the blond took a long swig of the contents.

"You sure do like alcohol, don't you?" It was an obvious question, but Blake still felt the need to ask.

"That's a bit of an understatement." Jaune chuckled as he set the mug down. "Ironically, sharing a drink with anyone from my family was some of the better parts of growing up…wait, quick question; why were you in Vale today?"

For most folks tasked with tailing a target they'd stutter or think of something completely random as an excuse. However, given that this was not her first time tailing someone, she thought of something ahead of time. "I was searching for a book."

Jaune pondered on that answer for a moment before accepting it. "Find anything that caught your interest?"

"No, and the next issue of Ninja's of Love won't be out any time soon. I didn't think the author would take this long, honestly." She groaned, her head slamming against the table lightlty as she could only dream of what the next book would entail.

Offhandedly, Jaune glanced back at the menu; the drink in his hand grazed his lips as he looked over the desert section. "Mmm, tell me about it. I didn't think my uncle would take this long…I mean, the draft he showed me was pretty good, he had a direction going. Wish I knew what he was up to now."

There was silence, which sort of unsettled the blond. Glancing back to Blake, he noticed her eyes narrowed at his sudden proclamation. "Your…uncle?" She asked with wavering uncertainty.

Knowing where this conversation was going, he reached for his scroll, bypassing the plethora of missed calls and messages from his team and family, and settled on a photo album he asked Olivia to set up for him. He swiped through several photos before finally settling on one. The picture was of a young blond, a toddler, sitting on the lap of a young, but very recognizable face; Hanzo Shimada, the author of the Ninja's of Love series. "Gotta tell ya, he was more edgy back then…I won't say he's completely relaxed, but he is mellower. I think maybe that's the reason he took a long hiatus; he found something…or someone…to occupy his time." He mumbled. "Still, I hope he is further along with the book, he promised to give me an update when he was two thirds of the way done."

The second those words left his mouth, the blond felt an unnerving aura surround his companion. At first, he noticed her eyes bulging. Secondly, her eyes zeroed in on him, her fingers grating against the table giving the impression of a predator about to pounce on its prey.

"Oh that's right; you're a fan of his work. If you'd like, I can introduce you to him when the opportunity arises. Would you be willing?" Within seconds Blake nodded, furiously at his offer. Earning a chuckle from the blond, this being one of the rare few times he met someone who considered his uncle's work to be literature instead of outright porn.

Jaune then seemingly inhaled the rest of his drink before raising a hand for another. "I'm gonna give a guess and assume that tolerance comes from your family." Blake commented, watching with increasing worry as the maid brought another mug for the blond.

"How do you think I'm able to handle my own so well? Years of practice…that, and I used to get into little contests with my sister and Opa."

Blake was picturing the siblings blushing heavily, slurring their speeches as they attempt to outdrink one another. "Who'd win?"

"If my Opa was involved; he wins every time, hands down." He stated with such certainty, though, he leaned over just a bit to pass on the next bit of info. "But between me and Brigitte; I usually come out on top. She's surprisingly a light-weight."

"SLANDER!" Proclaimed a brunette a few tables over, the irritation on her face was quickly overshadowed by the sudden realization that she had just outed herself. Beside her was a cat girl who couldn't face palm hard enough, Olivia munching down on a plate of tacos she'd ordered, not really caring for the world around her, and McCree smiling awkwardly as the sudden outburst caught him off guard.

* * *

**-Airship Valkyrie-**

Flying calmly over the Zurich forest was the airship Valkyrie, personal vehicle to the Ziegler family. Nearly double the size of a regular bullhead, the ship kept a straight path towards a city in the western coast. Aboard the bullhead where four of the family heads, two of which sat quietly in the cockpit. One of said heads was sitting rather uncomfortably as his body took up a hefty amount of space. Meanwhile, the pilot was flying the airship with a half-hearted smile, her eyes focused on the skies ahead. She'd only ever flown an airship few times, the Valkyrie even fewer.

"She's asleep." A head poked from the door. "Finally." She let out a tired sigh as she kept herself from taking up what little space the hulking giant already took up. "Thank you both for coming along, I don't think I would've been able to keep Angela calm when we touch down in Beacon."

"Think nothing of it, Reeha." The old crusader reassured. "It will be nice to see how much has changed since we last stood in Beacon."

"Don't expect it to be a nostalgic reunion Reinhardt; Angela will be anything but calm and rational once we arrive." The old pilot commented, placing the ship on temporary autopilot as she turned to face her family.

"Yes, I know mom." Fareeha noted, leaning against the door frame.

"Don't forget, unless bun-bun wants to leave; we cannot legally remove him from Beacon. As of now he is an enlisted hunter in training, which means the school is responsible for him. As such, he is under Ozpin's care; and the old headmaster will not allow anyone he sees potential in to leave his sights so easily." Ana's words rang true, gaining a stern glare from the hulking man, and a somewhat worried expression from her daughter. "Our little one is a drop of blood in a lake of sharks."

"You're starting to sound like Angela." Fareeha groaned, already tired of hearing the same argument, though, knowing full well how much truth were in those words.

"Hmph, it comes from experience."

"Then let us hope that-" *ding* The crusader was interrupted by the dinging in his scroll. Curiosity won over as he glanced to the caller id, slightly lighting up as he noticed who had contacted him; Brigitte. As he opened the message, the man nearly jumped at the sounds of blasting music and an encore of folks cheering on. When he managed to regain his bearings, he glanced back to the scroll to see a sight he was not prepared for. Both Fareeha and Ana leaned in to see, the older Amari's face showed increasing shock, followed by a mirth grin as she watched her three grandchildren chugging down what she could also assume was alcohol. And she was correct, given she noticed the increasing red in their faces, and he constant swaying of their bodies. After a moment of shock had passed, Reinhardt was grinning widely, he had shared a drink with Brigitte and Jaune several times before, but to see Hana joining in, and judging by the mugs around them; the petite girl had consumed a fair share more than her siblings. Of course, she looked almost ready to pass out if her constant swaying and slurred yells were of any indication. Fareeha was having a meltdown; on the one hand, she was glad to see the three siblings had no ill sentiments towards one another given how mad the two sisters were at their brother's foolish actions. But this was not a type of bonding or reconciliation she wanted to see. More so knowing that one was currently a student and might have classes the next day. Maybe. She didn't know what kind of schedule Beacon had, but she knew for a fact this kind of behavior would not sit well with a certain someone.

"HAHA! NOW THAT IS HOW WE SETTLE DESPUTES; A HEARTY DRINK!" The old crusader bellowed. To which Fareeha was desperately trying to shush him.

"Reinhardt, keep your voice down. We don't want to wake-"

Without warning, a hand came out from behind her, gently grabbing the Scroll and taking it from the man's grasps. The three turned in shock to see the mother of these siblings, and much to their surprise, she was not angered by this. Though, if she was, then she had mastered subtlety.

Rather, instead of the usual reactions she was known for, Angela looked on at the display with calmness. And for a moment, if one looked close enough, one could almost see a faint sign of nostalgia in her eyes as she saw her son for the first time since he ran away. Just seeing him like this, free from her grasps, laughing loudly, smiling, living a life she denied him for years brought about a flurry of emotions she was not prepared to confront just yet.

With no intention of staying further, the doctor handed back the scroll and returned to her quarters, ignoring the calls from Fareeha as she chose to sleep off the mounting guilt in her heart. For when the ship touched down in Beacon, no damned wizard or hunter would keep her from her child.

* * *

**This is long overdue, and I know that. But recent events at work have given me more opportunities and I chose to tackle as much as I could. And that in turn has had me extremely busy, and tired when the day ends. Make no mistake I don't plan to give up on this story; I just have other things in my life that take precedent now. I hope this chapter was worth the wait, stay tuned for the next few chapters 'cause I'll be dropping bigger hints as to who Jaune's father is. Thank you all for tuning and staying with the story. Ciao!**


	8. Morning After

Within the dorms of Beacon's first years, two redheads were pacing back and forth within team JNPR's dorm room. Or rather, one was a redhead, the other had more or less red highlights. Regardless, it didn't change the fact that the leader of team RWBY and the blond leader of JNPR's partner were currently in a state of unrest. Nora being the most anxious as the last message she received from her leader was a simple sentence; couldn't make the last shuttle, staying in Vale with Blake for the night. And just that last piece alone was enough to trigger her fear factor to the highest degree. Blake was a cautious girl, never mixes herself into situations that would end badly for her, Nora would give the girl that much. However, if another Fang tries to make a move on her leader would just the two of them be enough? She wanted to believe it would be, she wanted to trust that her leader and their friend would be safe in the city; but she couldn't shake the feeling that the Fang would try something again.

With only Ren to keep her calm, she continued pacing at a brisk pace, mumbling to herself as she dialed once more for her leader, only for the call to ring up until voicemail. Ren himself was calm outwardly, though; he wouldn't deny feeling just a tad bit worried for his leader. Less over whether he could handle himself, and more of whether or not he'd be able to keep himself from going too far the next time he was attacked by the Fang. Jaune held his team close to heart, of that Ren held admiration for; though, he could only wonder if his leader would be able to stay his hand should another assassin come for him. The green clad ninja understood the severity of being targeted, especially by an organization such as the White Fang, but to stoop to their level was something the magenta eyed teen wanted to avoid.

Pyrrha was just as worried as Nora, although with just as much subtlety as Ren. She had hoped her leader would return soon, especially after the whole ordeal with his siblings popping in unannounced. When Blake was sent to keep an eye on the blond, she expected constant updates, and even a call every now and then; but the texts stopped coming in after a last report of the blond and the cowboy stopping at a café. The more worrisome news came when Jaune sent a single text to Nora that he'd be staying in Vale for the night…with Blake. Now, it was at this point that the Mistrali champion would also be pacing back and forth alongside her partner, had she not been able to keep better control over her outward emotions. Of course, there was one other factor as to why she was not alongside Ruby and Nora.

"Ms. Rose, Ms. Valkyrie; sit down. Your actions are becoming irritating." Their combat instructor, Jaune's godmother, was assigned to keep watch over JNPR's room in the event another assassination attempt occurred. As such, the Mistrali woman found herself stuck in a room of teenagers, girls mostly, whom were showing increasing worry over their classmates as the night went on with no replies from either Jaune or Blake. While she would've admired how much they cared for their teammates, it didn't help that she too was not able to receive so much as a single text from her godson, despite the numerous texts and calls she sent out. Her only solace was Vaswani, who offered to accompany her in her guard duty. Although, her volunteering to join her was less to keep Lacroix company and more to keep an eye on her nephew and the collection of friends he acquired so far. Also, and she'd possibly never admit it openly; Satya quite enjoyed spending time with her nephew.

At the moment however, being showed no sympathy from the markswoman; Satya was seated beside the Schnee heiress whom was asking a plethora of questions as to how her technology worked. And while the woman enjoyed going into detail over her work, she was not exactly open to speaking to any of these brats; least of all the one who branded her nephew a brute upon their first encounter. How preposterous. Yes he did pick up a few undesirable traits from his uncle, some of which she barely tolerated from the man as it was, but by no means was the boy a brute of any kind. It took all her will power not to tell this Schnee off. It helped that the Schnee patriarch was one of her main suppliers in terms of resources from Atlas, so keeping her tongue from spouting truths of the heiress was for the best.

As it went, it all seemed relatively quiet in the dorm room. Aside from Lacroix sitting idly by the door, Vaswani half-heartedly listening to the Schnee, and the other teens talking amongst themselves, Ruby and Nora being the exception; all seemed relatively peaceful for the most part.

_*Ding*_

Timing, thou art a heartless bitch.

Both Lacroix and Vaswani checked their scrolls; both received a video message from Brigitte. Curious, and hoping the brunette had found the blond they opened the message. Nothing could've prepared the teens for the look of pure emotionless rage emitting from the two women. Taking a small peek at the message, their eyes bugled at the sight of their blond friend surrounded by strangers while chugging down a large mug of alcohol. The highlight of the message was that the sisters of the blond were with him, also chugging down large mugs in what appeared to be a competition of sorts. And from the looks of it, the petite of the three was gaining ground as she had a few more mugs around her than the other two.

A visible vein appeared on Satya's forehead as she noticed a cowboys reflection on a nearby mirror; he was the one recording. However, beside him was Oliva, stuffing her face with food while holding up a scroll of her own. Next to her was the fourth teammate of team RWBY, not with the same enthusiasm as the crowd around her, but seemingly cheering on her friend from the sidelines with an awkward smile.

"McCree…" Lacroix snarled, had it not been the weekend the following day, she would've strung the man up for allowing her godson to indulge in such unsightly acts. And while she was angered that the damned man was recording this rather than stopping it, she was now just glad she got an update on her little one's whereabouts.

Satya however was broiling in anger. This was something the children picked up from the old crusader, a trait she detested with a great passion. To Satya, these were children she helped raise; her babies, as Jesse would often put it. Seeing them inhale ungodly amounts of alcohol whilst the damned cowboy was recording from afar; she made a mental note to have a stern _talking_ to when they'd see one another again. She prayed, to whatever gods listened, that Jesse would take them to his home so they'd have a safe place to sleep before the siblings eventually passed out. And as soon as they touched down on the launch pad the next day; there would be hell to pay.

* * *

**-Vale, residential district 04-**

With full bellies, and acting as support balance for drunken siblings, a sober trio made their way through a moderate section of Vale's residential area where, and it came as a surprise to those still sober, except a purple themed hacker; McCree had a house in district 04. A two story home, much like the neighborhood houses, save for one special tech; voice recognition. Blake could've had more time to admire the surrounding area had she not been asked to carry the middle child of the siblings; petite she might've been, but she was not light by any means. Her constant drooling and need to nuzzle against her neck wasn't helping in the slightest either. As soon as the old cowboy spoke some phrase into an intercom having to do with noon, the gates opened, allowing the group entry. Olivia had the blond swung over her shoulder, shifting him when she felt the boy slipping.

"Damn…" She muttered, realigning him to keep the boy firmly in her arms. Though she was of a small frame, much more than the boy, it was surprising for Blake to see the girl carry the blond so easily. McCree held the door open for the two, allowing them entry, and upon seeing the inside of the house, Blake was once again stunned. This time, her jaw was slacked open for the clean manner in which the home was furnished; dark silver walls with polished marble counter tops, smooth wooden floors, furniture that was aligned in a symmetrical pattern. The pieces that broke the near perfect image were the pictures decorating the walls of the man's home. All of which showed various moments in Jesse's life, from the day he started Beacon with his team at his side, to what Blake could only describe as a wedding. With the cowboy surrounded by friends and family alike, and seemingly with no way of determining who was the bride, or groom, considering the chaotic moment captured. Realizing this, Blake glanced towards the old cowboy, and sure enough; a ring was set firmly in his still human hand.

"There are three rooms upstairs, and two on the ground floor; put Bri and Hana in one, and bun-bun in the other. You girls can claim a room upstairs and call it a night. After that; head to Beacon first thing in the morning." Jesse seemed to have it all planned out. Of course, there was one slight question the hacker had; her raised arm lowered after both pairs of eyes were on her.

"And you will…?"

Jesse smiled as he walked towards a room to put Brigitte in. "I'm gonna book a flight outta Vale. When Satya finds out I let you squirts drink she's gonna tan my hide."

"She'll spank you?" The hacker's tease hit a nerve as the cowboy tilted his hat forward to hide a small tint of red.

After settling the girls down in one room, and Jaune in another, Olivia joined her friend in the living room, the t.v. was left on with no one really intending to watch anything; it served mainly as background noises. Feeling rather awkward, being in the home of a relative of her friend's was something the young Belladonna hadn't exactly planned on experiencing. And yet, there she sat, on a stool by the kitchen, her hands fiddling with her scroll. She glanced at the amount of messages she had received, and there were indeed a ton. She knew if she responded now; her phone would blow up with messages and calls from their worried teammates. Not to mention, the awkwardness she felt staying overnight with the blond and his family. Worse even was the casual glance Olivia would cast her way every once in a while. Her attention was on the old cowboy, but the woman would cast a glance every so often and it unnerved Blake, mostly because she would be eyeing her bow.

"…and then, Jamison had the bright idea to rig the train cart with explosives. Long story short, we all smelled like pyro dust for a week. Mako didn't complain much, not that he ever really talks either way. Lena's eyebrows get burned off completely, Jean, whose hair is practically burned off at this point, is busying holding on to Rein's leg, I had to keep Mei from strangling Jamie, and ol Rein was actually asking for an encore. If we hadn't hidden the rest of the explosives…well. Overall; not a bad weekend." McCree recounted a recent mission he had been a part of. The glee in his voice was evident as he delivered each word with glee.

Olivia chuckled at his tone, reaching for a cup on a coffee table in front of them. "I think you forgot to mention the explosion took the arm Satya gave you as a birthday gift with it." She pointed to the cowboy's prosthetic. "She almost tore Jamison a new one for that." She chuckled dryly to herself as she took a sip of a beverage she poured herself.

Jesse rubbed the back of his head sheepishly. "I suppose so. I don't mean to make her worry, really I don't…but…" His voice trailed off, he laid his head back unto the sofa's cushions. "Everyone's been so jumpy since the end of the Crisis. I get why they're scared, lost a lot of good people, lot of friends and family, but the worlds' a mess right now. It ain't gonna fix itself, and I don't see anyone else stepping up to the plate."

The purple-themed woman smiled, her fingers traced along the cowboy's prosthetic. It almost appeared intimate, at first glance, but Blake knew better. What she saw was comfort, not among lovers, but among two close individuals. She slunk into her seat, knowing full well her family's involvement in the Crisis. Her ears might've been hidden, but her face would no doubt give her away. But then, she had no worries over the family that sided with the rebels, she would prefer if her involvement with a certain organization remained tight-lipped. Considering this family's history, and judging by the cowboy's stories; they might just have a slight vendetta against the Fang.

"Well, you can't just go charging into a fight without knowing your enemy…" Her eyes drifted towards Blake. "…or your allies. That's how I've stayed alive all this time. Knowing who you're up against and who's by your side can make all the difference."

Blake was trembling in her seat, realizing this woman was hinting she knew something. It made it all the more terrifying when the cowboy, who had risen not too long after, yawned loudly.

"Mmm, 'suppose you got a point there." He mumbled before heading towards the stairs, unaware of the pleading looks from the student nearby begging him not to leave her. "I'm gonna hit the hay now, wake me up when it's time to go tomorrow."

"~Goodnight~" Olivia sang out as she watched him disappear upstairs.

When the cowboy could no longer be seen or heard, Blake flinched, feeling the intense stare of the purple woman fixed firmly on her.

Her heart beat so rapidly she swore her chest was visibly pounding, more so when she could hear the woman shuffling about, standing up and making her way to the student.

"You know…" She began, easily causing Blake to jolt a little at how close she was. "It's one thing to be part of a gang and then decide you want something else out of life." Olivia's hand snaked around Blake's neck, the fear only cemented itself when the faunus felt the cold edge of a blade nudging at her neck. When she dared to look the woman in the eye, the faunus only found unbridled fury held back by the prospect of being caught. 'It's another for a terrorist top desert her comrades and try to play the good guy after all the shit she's pulled." A scroll in Olivia's free hand came to life, images from security cameras showed some damn incriminating images. There she was, leading the White Fang on one of their heists on a Schnee transport ship. More images played out, some of which were of her with her mask off, but surrounded by Fang members.

For a moment, Blake's life flashed before her eyes, a short and depressing show, but one she had high hopes of shaping it to be the foundation to what she planned to do in the future. And yet, the thing that did her in was an overprotective sibling with a grudge against the Fang, to which Blake could not dispute as she saw the damned assassin the night prior.

The screen flickered off as Olivia tucked away her scroll and cupped Blake by her cheek, forcing the faunus to face her. "Now, I'm all for a good redemption story, and I'd be a hypocrite if I said criminals don't deserve one…" The knife pressed tighter against Blake's neck. "But that doesn't mean you get to just walk away without giving something back to the community." She removed her knife, allowing Blake to breathe easier, but only temporarily as she watched Olivia placed a nightshade shaped hairpin down in front of her.

When she looked up the Olivia for answers, the purple woman held her scroll up again, showing more images of the faunus' time with the Fang.

"I'll be keeping a very close eye on you princess. If I see anything that suggests you've thrown yourself back in with the Fang and I'll make sure you go through every level of hell ten times over before I give you the sweet relief of death." She emphasized the scroll in her hands. "And believe me kitty, I'll find whatever you think you can hide. For now, this will be our little secret, so don't go telling bun-bun any of this, alright? Behave from here on out princess, otherwise…" She trailed off, never intending to finish her threat; she didn't need to. Blake got the message clear as day, though, it only made her wonder why she'd willing keep Blake's secret. The only logical reasoning she had was the idea of the woman calling her in for favors, the pin itself appeared relatively normal. Something in her suggested she needed to take the pin, another side of her wanted to pretend she didn't see it and leave it under the pretext; Olivia never specifically told her, nor gestured her, to take the pin.

And so, Blake elected to leave it where it sat, choosing to bunker down on the couch as sleep took its sweet time taking her, her heart never ceasing to pound roughly, despite its slowed pace.

She expected anger, hell she even expected Jaune's family to outright distrust her because of her connections; though, she had to wonder what the blond would say if she told him. In the midst of her thoughts slumber had finally taken her for the night.

* * *

When she awoke the next morning, it was the smell and sounds of food being prepared in the kitchen. Sizzling oil and the smell of something sweet was enough to nudge the sleepy faunus out of sleep and off the couch.

"Morning." She was about to respond when her half opened eyes snapped wide open. There before her, preparing breakfast for the still asleep house was her classmate, shirtless; bearing his skin for all to see. It would've been a 'money shot' as Yang would put it, had her eyes not immediately fixed themselves on the stub that lacked its mechanical arm. She could see his skin had either attached itself to the metal port meant to attach the arm, or the metal was embedded deeper into his body than first expected.

Pushing her thoughts aside, Blake arose from the couch, stretching a bit before moving slowly towards the kitchen and sitting on a nearby stool. She would've helped, but the night before had taken a toll on her, and she wasn't one of the ones that inhaled half of that restaurant's alcohol stock.

"How do you like your eggs?" Jaune asked, a plate of stacked pancakes were sitting just beside him alongside a huge bowl of scrambled eyes, buttered toast, shredded hashbrown, and bacon strips. In a pan was the sausage still frying, and…something she for the life of her couldn't pronounce. She knew what it was, but the way she spoke it left something lacking.

"~Goodmorning~" Blake stiffened, her eyes didn't snap towards the source of that voice, but rather, towards the counter; the pin was still there. Hastily, and with Jaune's back turned, she stuffed the device in her pocket as she heard the sounds of footsteps reaching ground floor. "Aye, look at my conejito making food for his family." Her tone was akin to a doting family member, reinforced when she grabbed his head and planted an exaggerated kiss on his cheek, leaving purple lipstick imprinted rather prominently.

With a noticeable blush on his cheeks, the blond reached over to a plate he had covered with plastic to keep bugs from touching the contents. Olivia's face almost immediately lit up upon being handed the food.

"Scrambled eggs with chopped onions, peppers, and tomatoes, frijoles molidos with cheese grated over it, two jalapeños on the side, and…" Jaune reached over and handed her another small plate. "Freshly cooked tortillas." Perhaps one of the few people closer to Atlesian and Valen in appearance as they come, and he spoke the woman's language as if it were second nature…but then, given the fact they were family, it really shouldn't have surprised Blake at this point. She must've enforced some strict lessons into him, or rather, perhaps learning the language was one way the two bonded.

Olivia received her food with a widened smile as grabbed the blond by his chin, squeezing, puckering his lips rather tightly.

"Chulo eres." Olivia planted another small kiss on his cheek before taking her food and taking a seat on a stool one seat away from Blake. She didn't glance over to the woman, rather, the faunus seemed intent on further avoiding any contact with this member of her friend's family, or at the very least to not incite the woman's ire in any way.

"Blake?"

It took the heiress a second before she realized her classmate was waving a hand in front of her face, soon after he appeared relieved after finally getting her attention.

"…I'm sorry, what'd you say?"

"I asked; how do you like your eggs?" It was hard not to notice the purple lip marks on his cheeks and not snicker a little. Still, when she told him scrambled, the blond went to work fixing her a plate as the sausages finished cooking.

"Well damn, you kids are making yourselves right at home, ain't chu?" From atop the steps was the old cowboy in a state similar to his nephew; shirtless and without his mechanical arm. "Where's Bri and Hana?"

"Here…" Damn, they looked as bad as they responded. From the guest room closest to the kitchen emerged the two siblings, disheveled and seemingly unable to open their eyes.

"Mornin' girls." Their younger brother chirped at them with a peaceful grin. The two glared at him and replied in unison.

"Fuck off…"

"Please and thank you." Brigitte added with a mumble, the effects of her upbringing outshone her ringing headache and lingering regrets. Funny enough, Blake actually thought of Pyrrha when she heard Brigitte's response.

While Jesse made himself a cup of coffee, Jaune finished fixing Blake's plate, setting it down in front of her. He gave her a small smile before going back to fixing up two separate plates. One had a well stacked amount of pancakes, meats, overly portioned eggs and hashbrown, and buttered toast. Another plate had a light serving of eggwhites and hashbrown, regular toast, and cottage cheese. The Nora sized plate was placed in front of the eldest of the siblings, the blond pressed two fingers from both hands against her head, a faint glow emitted from the tips as the disgruntled expression on Bri's face was dissipating. Within seconds, her frown had vanished, replaced with a neutral look, and soon after; joy.

"Thanks bun-bun."

Jaune nodded, fixing his attention now on his second eldest sibling. The glare she had fixed on him was intense, and if one asked him; Jaune would make a solid bet her ire was not just because of the hangover. Regardless, he repeated the same process with Hana, and within seconds her hangover seemingly vanished as well.

"Thanks…" She muttered, reaching to dig into her food when she felt him kiss the top of her head gently. Her head snapped upwards, her eyes were owlish as her little brother smiled back at her.

"Anytime." His response wasn't met with a rebuttal as the blond returned to his cooking, intent of serving himself a decent portion as well. Now that the entirety of the house was awake, it didn't take long for Blake to remember a key detail of their lives for the next four years; school. She nearly jolted up from her seat had she not remembered it was a weekend. Her heartbeat slowed ever so as she sighed lightly; she wouldn't have to miss school for missing the last bullhead home. Though, in her defense, she couldn't have predicted the last shuttle was going to experience issues that warranted the flight be grounded till further notice.

Breakfast went just about as Blake expected; Olivia continued conversing with the cowboy, the two sisters were talking amongst themselves, the older one praising her faunus sibling for the amount of booze she was able to take before it finally got to her. Meanwhile, Blake sat with Jaune, neither was exactly vocal, but the two were seemingly content with enjoying a simple meal in peace so there wasn't really any conversation to be had between the two.

Actually, there was, many in fact, but the faunus chose not to say anything at the moment, given that the cause for many of her questions and concerns was only one cowboy away from her. But instead she decided to opt for a question she knew Yang would've asked right off the bat.

"So, you can cure hangovers? If Yang hears about this she'll be taking you to clubs with her…hope you know how to dance." Her comment earned a chortle from Bri, and a barely withheld giggling from her faunus sibling.

"Oi, I know how to dance…now…" He mumbled that last part, his eyes immediately darted over to Olivia. "Don't." He growled, her scroll was already out, he knew well she saved any and all embarrassing moments in his life, and that one moment was haunting enough as it was, he didn't need a constant reminder.

For a moment, the hacker relented, putting her scroll away while McCree chuckled at the antics.

"I wonder if this is what Ange woke up to every day." His eyes widened as he realized he had said that particular offhanded thought out loud.

To his surprise, however, was when the boy let out a hearty chuckle; it was genuine, and reminded the group, minus Blake, of an old crusader. "She wishes, with Bri moving in with Rein in Eichenwalde and Hana training to be a pilot; I'm the only one at home to drive her crazy." He gestured to himself rather proudly at the statement.

Hana, on the other hand, groaned loudly while her head slammed lightly unto the counter top. "Ugh, and I'm the one mom rants to about that!"

"Seriously?" Rather than answer Brigitte's question, Hana takes out her scroll, unlocks the device and hands it over to Bri to read over the messages.

Although hesitant to be reading a conversation between a mother and daughter, curiosity took the reins as the muscular woman began reading aloud the conversation exchanged between the two.

* * *

_Mama Mercy: Hana, I hope you're doing well, and I'm sure you're probably in the middle of classes or training but I must ask; has Jaune told you anything recently? _

_Mama Mercy: We got into an argument_

_Mama Mercy: again_

_Mama Mercy: please call me when you can_

_-An hour later-_

_Mama Mercy: just so you know, I might've been a tad harsh, but I've also made it abundantly clear you and your brother are the only ones in my life I will always worry over. I just wish he could understand that. _

_-10 minutes later-_

_Mama Mercy: I remember when you were children, he was stuck to you like glue, you even slept in the same bed up until you-_

* * *

"NOT THAT ONE!" The girl screeched, a vibrant red tint emerged on her cheeks as she scrolled down, intentionally averting the coy smiles from the cowboy and hacker. Blake had to muffle a curt chuckle as Hana landed on where Brigitte could continue. Funny enough, most of the messages she skipped were of Angela recounting their childhoods, and like every mother; she focused on the more embarrassing bits.

* * *

_Mama Mercy: I can't help but feel like you're intentionally ignoring me_

_Dva: What ever gave you that idea?_

_Mama Mercy: Well, the fact that the messages clearly show you've seen AND read my messages, and yet I haven't received a reply from you._

_Dva: Ok so what's the problem this time?_

_Mama Mercy: …_

_Dva: Mom, you spammed me the whole day with texts, my friends caught glimpses of what you sent, and I'm literally begging you; what did you two fight about?_

* * *

"…" Brigitte paused, realizing it was the end of the messages, however, there was a call that lasted a little under three minutes. To which, Hana took her scroll and opened another tab, allowing the story to progress further.

* * *

_Dva: THE FUCK DID YOU SAY TO MOM!?_

_Bun-Bun: Hey sis_

_Dva: of all the things you could say to piss her off, of all the things that could break her heart worse than you joining an academy; why the hell did you tell her VACUO CHOCOLATES ARE BETTER THAN SWISS?!_

_Bun-Bun: I mean, they kinda are._

_Dva: I KNOW THAT_

_Dva: EVERYONE KNOWS THAT_

_Dva: MOM DIDN'T NEED TO KNOW THAT_

_Bun-Bun: well now she does_

_Dva: do you have any idea what today has been like?_

_Bun-Bun: I can guess_

_Dva: my team even saw my messages, they've been teasing me none stop the whole day._

_Bun-Bun: That reminds me, how's Dmon and Casino? Haven't seen them in forever_

_Dva: no_

_Dva: stop right there. _

_Dva: it's bad enough my teammates know more about the stupid shit I did as a kid, but I finally reached a point where they finally stopped asking about you, but now with mom's texts, they're back at full swing. _

_Dva: do you know how embarrassing it is to have your own teammates constantly asking for your baby brother's number so they can 'check up on him'?_

_Bun-Bun: can I text them at least?_

_Dva: NO_

* * *

And from there, Brigitte was unable to continue reading as she was laughing uncontrollably. She'd been reading the texts in the demeanor closest to how her family acted, and to her credit, she was fairly on point. The highlight of the whole tale was when she dramatically read out the uppercased words, exaggerating for effect, and even gasping at the audacity of her brother to tell his mother such blasphemy. Olivia and McCree were holding their stomachs as they pictured a both pissed off and clearly downtrodden Angela mumbling about how her son lacked proper taste, which is why he would even suggest Swiss chocolates came second to any other kind at all. But because she loved him, because he was her baby, she couldn't exactly take her frustration out on him. The grimm in the nearby forest however…easy prey.

Even Blake, who was lost at most parts, found herself chuckling at the antics of the Ziegler family.

"Funny thing is, I actually got their numbers." Jaune commented, earning an owlish expression from Hana, and even Brigitte, though it was quickly replaced with a widened grin as she knew what would come next. "Here, I'll show you." The blond retrieved his scroll, ignoring the shell-shocked expression his sister sported as he dialed a number and placed it on speaker.

A few rings passed as the others grew silent, Hana herself was on the edge of her seat, praying this was just another one of his pranks, many of which she taught him, though, she'd never admit it to anyone, least of all their mother.

The ringing continued for another second before there was a click, and the one voice Hana dreaded came through.

"_Hey handsome, been a while. How come you haven't called in a while, I didn't go out of my way to get your number just for shits and giggles."_

Without even missing a beat, Hana leapt from her desk, ran straight over and yanked her brother's scroll from his hand. "How the fuck did you get his number!" Her outburst was met with absolute silence, and following with; the dial tone. Fueled with her own ire, Hana shoved the scroll back in her brother's hands as she marched off to get her scroll. "This ain't fucking over." She growled. Brigitte following closely behind with a mix of worry and glee, McCree followed also, mumbling something along the lines of making sure the girl doesn't break anything. Olivia followed as well, her scroll in her hands ready to record this little gold nugget.

Meanwhile, Jaune remained in the kitchen with Blake, sporting a wide grin on his face as his family all crowded into a room, leaving the two students alone.

"They're…lively." Blake's comment earned a chuckle from her friend. "But I don't see why she would have a problem with her friends talking to you."

"It's less of talking and more of…suggestive conversations…openly…and often when she's in the room." The gesture he made with his hands were unnecessary, but it painted a very explicit picture. So much so that the faunus found a heated blush burning at her cheeks. "It's all talk though, we just do it to mess with her." The blond reassured, though, was it all planned out? If it was, how would he have contacted his sister's teammate before making the call?

Regardless, the two found relative peace for about thirty seconds before another scream of frustration and laughter could be heard from the other room.

"By the way…" Blake's eyes glanced his way, noticing his expression had shifted drastically. She managed to catch a glimpse at what he was looking at in his scroll; an article over recent dust robberies in Vale's downtown district. "It's a weekend, and since we don't have anywhere to be exactly…" She hadn't noticed, but the blond had his shirt and blazer sitting comfortably on a chair just between the dining room and kitchen.

While dressing himself, he gave a quick peek back at the family, then to Blake. "Wanna go hunting?"

* * *

**AN: been a while since I updated, I apologize for that, especially since I don't really have a valid excuse, and I've been updating another story religiously as of recent. But, here's the next installment of Rally to Me, and I gotta say, I'm beginning to ask myself if my original ending is really how I wanted to go towards. See, the ending of this story is an amalgamation of events that occur from here until then; and so, the set of events I've thought up are what will lead to an eventuality me wonder if I want to go this path, or if I should take a safer route. So after taking a good while to think it over, my final decision on the matter is; fuck it. **

**All I can say is; don't expect it to be a happy ending.**

**For now, however, I will give you all some lighter moments, mixed in with some drama and action. Until then, thanks for reading.**


	9. Illabye

Vale, for a coastal city, rarely ever saw an influx of tourism that wasn't around seasonal holidays or during the kingdom-wide event known as the Vytal Festival. Though, for some reason, folks from near and far were flooding into the city, the shopping districts were flooded with folks visiting the kingdom capital. Even so, with the plethora of shops and places marked for tourists to visit, the streets were still clear enough to tread without consistently bumping into folks. There were, of course, certain areas that lacked the bustling scene of constant movement; the residential areas and the dust shops barred off with yellow tape and shattered glass from broken windows.

Standing aside a crowd of onlookers, watching the Vale law enforcement at work, two students watch with keen interest at the consistency of the type of shops being target, and how ineffective the officers were at preventing these robberies. More specifically, their interests were peeked at the mention of a certain organization being involved in these incidents.

Blake's ire was itched at the overall agreement of the officers that the Fang were involved with this attack, yet they could never seem to list a proper reason as to why they'd be attacking small shops. When her gaze turned to her classmate, he seemed a little irritated, muttering under his breath something along the lines of 'as if they'd waste their time'. His mumbling continued further into incoherence, though, Blake was hoping his thought process wasn't the same as the humans.

And therein lay a little hiccup she forget to bring up, during her time shadowing him and his uncle, the faunus managed to catch wind of a little conversation between the cowboy and some woman over a scroll. The person was of little interest, but the subject matter and the revelation that came with it were what nearly made her tumble from her seat. She didn't exactly know how to bring it up, it was something that made her uneasy, and still somehow with a form of kinship to this blond. His father and hers were friends, founded the White Fang alongside a fair few, and fought together for equality for the faunus. However, as she listened on, she learned of Jaune's father seemingly involved in a plot to overthrow her father from his position, which he stepped away from, not out of loyalty and devotion to his friend, but for the love of a human woman. It both made her want to rub the irony of it in his face, and unnerved the girl over how easily the boy's father was willing to betray her own father.

Though, even knowing all this, she couldn't despise Jaune, especially since he'd proven much more different from what his father sounded like; especially if the blond was more than willing to push moral boundaries to protect those closest to him. Not that the idea of him going so far was justified in any way, but it at least gave her a clear indication of where he stood in regards to those closest to him.

"Blake?"

Her mind snapped from its internal conflict to only now realize he had caught her starring at him. A creeping tint of red etched across her cheeks. Her expression shifted quickly from embarrassment to confusion as he stoically pointed behind her. When her head turned, her heart began beating at a rapid pace as there, glaring heatedly as both her and the blond stood her team. It was only then that she realized she forgotten to keep them updated as to where she was, and no doubt her team leader was going to make a big fuss over this.

Surprisingly, it was the white haired teammate that stomped towards them. Her face in itself would've been intimidating had she not arrived just a bit towards the blond, showing herself to be a chest level height at best, with her finger pressing aggressively against his chest.

"You. owe. US." She jabbed her finger in that last bit, rather harshly. Seeing the confusion on his face, she clarified, with just a single name. "Lacroix." And that was enough to garner a both shocked and sympathetic glance from the blond.

"I am so sorry." Though somewhat genuine, the angered glare from the heiress was not alleviated by an inch. The softened gaze from Ruby was of no surprise, she really never stayed mad for too long, nor did her sister as she seemingly eased up on the red eyes, though, her irritation of having to deal with the combat professor was not so easily forgiven. Especially since both she, and the Vaswani woman stayed the night in their rooms ranting about getting her hands on a certain cowboy. "Breakfast?" He offered, seeing Ruby light up ever so slightly, Yang smirked, and Weiss' stomaching rumbling at the perfect time; the five walked away from the crime scene to search for a spot to eat.

Which, although being at the center of Vale with all forms of shops in the surrounding area; finding a place to eat that wasn't packed was a difficult tread indeed, more so when it led to further towards the docks. Much to the slight irritation of the heiress, and the mild amusement of her teammates, the few barely packed restaurants were small pockets hidden just within the many apartment complexes and warehouses in this Vale district. The diner they eventually settled on was quite literally right below a highway, the few noticeable patrons inside were either construction and dock workers, or the occasional Vale officer on break from duty.

The huntresses were not as off put as one would expect, given the surrounding neighborhood could best be defined as a slum; dirtied streets, rundown complexes, and the occasional siren going off in the distance and slowly fading away.

The booth they had chosen gave them a clear view of the street, while also seating them in a U form, with Weiss sitting in between Blake and Yang, Ruby sitting next to her big sister and Jaune beside Blake, allowing the two team leaders to sit across from one another. For a short while, no one said anything, no one knew exactly how to start up a conversation as they could feel the eyes of the patrons glued on them; specifically the blond team leader. His eyes were fixed on his menu, not exactly noticing a pair of waitresses visibly nudging one another, gesturing to him every few seconds.

Blake could vaguely pick up on certain words here and there, the more prevalent being the name 'Ziegler', and of course the first thing to come to mind was the woman herself; Mercy. She spared the blond beside her a small glance, wondering what exactly was going through his mind in regards to having folks know of him through his mother's reputation.

Weiss, having heard only a name from the not so subtle waitresses, was not simply irate, but a tad bit envious of the blond. The work Mercy accomplished, the lives she saved throughout her career made her a household name amongst many hunters and social circles alike. For Jaune, the boy was looked upon as with favor and admiration, the eyes of those who saw him were reminded of his mother. The light shining down on him was nothing compared to the marred image her father had etched, smearing her family name with his business practices, and enticing a great deal of unwanted attention towards them.

In short; she was envious of the way people heard his name, and instantly saw him in such a light; as if he was Doctor Ziegler herself. Though, given his intended trajectory in life; she was sure the title would pass on to him as well. And with it, the love and respect his mother accumulated will be latched to him simply by association. But for her, she would have to strategize and be just as, if not more, conniving as her father in order to stay afloat.

Of course, if there was one thing the heiress could feel a sense of familiarity to the blond; having the White Fang place a bounty on your head, demand you face justice. What a joke; for those fanatics to assume they have any right to preach of justice and truth given their track record. If anything, now that she had time to think on it, she was glad Jaune didn't kill the assassin, but at the very least sent a clear message to that fanatic.

"E-e-excuse me?" The voice of a meek waitress caught the attention of the huntresses and hunter. The sight they were met with was of a young woman, possibly around the same age as them, mocha skin, curled forest green hair tied into a bun, and sapphire colored orbs staring directly at the blond huntsmen in training. "Are ya'll ready to order?"

Her accent, it was akin to something one would normally hear from Vale's more rural areas, the farming or industrial focused settlements along mining towns.

"Just coffee for me." Blake answered, having already eaten prior.

"Cottage cheese with Mistral toast, light butter, with a side of greens. And coffee as well." The heiress didn't miss the small twitch in the waitress' eye as she wrote down the order. Taking a second look, she noticed another waitress also eyeing her from afar.

"Steak and eggs, sunny-side up, white toast and some bacon added in. Some OJ too, if you got any." Yang listed off, earning a small grin from the waitress.

"Of course, ma'am."

Ruby was practically beaming when her turn came around. "The Pancake special, with extra syrup and jam please." Her smile was infectious, as even the heiress allowed herself a moment to smirk at her team leader's order of ungodly sweetened food.

"How 'bout a glass of milk to help ya wash it down?" The waitress was met with a gleeful nod as she turned her attention now to the blond eyeing the menu. "And you, hun?"

Jaune didn't reply, or rather, his eyes were fixed on the menu eyeing it a little longer before closing it. "A slice of apple pie and a cup of coffee." The waitress gave him a firm nod before taking the menus and walking away. As she walked away, the blond felt an unnerving shiver crawl up his spine, and he had a good guess as to who was eyeing him down.

"So, you wanna to tell us what you were doing last night with my partner?" The teasing in her tone indicated that was not a question, and she was lot going to let this go either. Yang wasn't exactly a wild card, despite how she acted. If anything, she was predictable, but she had the strength and intellect to stay on her toes and ahead of whatever goal she was aiming for. Determined; that was one of the best words that could be associated with her. And often it was akin to a double-edged sword. A great ally, but an irritatingly stubborn adversary. Long story short; she had it in mind to interrogate and garner either a fair stack of leverage over the two for teasing purposes, or she wanted to know the details of what occurred last night out of curiosity. In either case, it wasn't as though anything exciting occurred, aside from the amount of drinks he had with his siblings.

"We had dinner, I drank, she watched, and we spent the night at my uncle's house in Vale." He answered robotically, ignoring the widening smirk on Xiao Long's lips, and the face of betrayal Blake shot him for wording it in such a way that her partner had ammunition for teasing.

It didn't take long for the orders to come, Yang being the most excited to dig in, almost inhaling her meal as both Ruby and Weiss took their time. Blake drank her coffee in absolute silence, sparing a glance towards her partner, waiting for the brawler to come up with some form of teasing or joke to imply something between her and the blond leader of JNPR occurred. Speaking of…

She took a quick peak at the aforementioned leader, seeing his phone vibrate constantly. His reactions to each message he received were varied, though amusement and cringe were a reoccurring sentiment. She could only assume he was either speaking to family, or Nora, whichever made him squirm like that.

"Did you contact your team yet?" She asked, gaining his attention, though his fingers continued scrolling.

"Yea, told Nora I'd be back soon enough." He responded, earning a raised brow from the heiress.

"How soon?"

The blond shrugged, focusing his attention back to his scroll.

*ding*

The blond looked visibly shaken, his complexion paled almost to the same shade as the heiress'. His scroll trembled lightly in his hands, breathing had become a labor; and it only took a single message. Curiosity took the best of Blake, pun be damned, she leaned in, ignoring the teasing smirk from Yang, and the small pout from her team leader.

'_Valkyrie touching down at Beacon.'_

Now, it was quite obvious that the Valkyrie mentioned in the text was not the blond's partner, but to illicit such a reaction was indeed cause for concern. The others noticed too, it became increasingly worrying when the blond quickly shut off his scroll and was seemingly attempting to calm his breathing.

"Jaune?" The soft voice of the young reaper managed to reach him, his breathing calmed and his eyes half-lidded. The young huntress was justifiably worried at seeing her friend in such a state, especially with the still obvious fear of Fang out for his head. "Are you ok?"

His response lagged, at each moment he appeared to want to respond; he didn't. Again, he was hiding something, and whatever it was had him in a state of fear. It was moments like these that Ruby wanted to adopt her sister's tactics and pry her friend until he cracked. But she knew better; forcing an answer wouldn't be a good route to take, and knowing how things went the night prior thanks to Blake's late update; she barely scratched the surface, if at all.

"No…" His honesty was not expected, if their reactions were anything to go by. Though, after finally relaxing himself, the blond's expression steeled. "But I'll be fine after a bit."

* * *

For the rest of breakfast, that was it. Although Ruby and Yang had attempted to pry further into what could be bothering him; he either curved the conversation unto another topic, or he just dismissed the subject all together. Much to the apparent annoyance, albeit reluctance; of the brawler. Rather than heading straight for Beacon, which was the initial plan, the student opted to visit the shopping districts, leading them to end up in a rather large mall, filled to the brim with shops and restaurants of all kinds.

As for team RWBY and their 'friendly' medic, the five traveled together to any shop that caught their eyes. Ruby was smitten with dust and weapon shops, eyeing the stock as a child would a mountain of sweets. Yang being tied relatively close to the hip of her younger sister, she enjoyed seeing her sibling indulge in her hobbies, but she didn't trust the peering eyes fixed on her from the surrounding patrons.

Blake was passive, for the most part. She had in mind to visit a book store not too far ahead, intending to search for anything of interest, or perhaps news of the development of her favorite series. Of course, she couldn't associate Ninjas of Love with anything but the enticing reminder that one of her friends was related to the author, and had even offered her a chance to meet the man. Suffice to say, Blake was feeling rather excited at the prospects of greeting the famous Shimada in person, though, she had to wonder what the man was like.

Weiss, stayed outside of the weapons shop her partner quite literally dove into, refusing to step foot in a place with such smells she had grown accustomed and sickened by; grease, smoke, and dust. If there was one thing she grew to despise as an heiress; having to oversee the family business in ventures where a child should not be, such as mines and purification facilities. Though, she couldn't deny watching her partner quite literally bounce around with Yang barely able to keep up was amusing.

And yet, the current person occupying her thoughts was the blond standing beside her. Though he showed skill in properly maintaining his gear, and keeping his arm from any further incidents, Jaune wasn't all too excited with weapons like Ruby was. And honestly, that was understandable, the reaper did say the blond was aiming to be a combat medic, which he had yet to show any form of medical practice outside of healing an entire round of initiates…not that it wasn't impressive, but she assumed him being the son of the famous doctor would at least had a bit of knowledge passed unto him.

But she had to stop herself there; Blake mentioned in her texts how the boy came to Beacon to become his own person, to escape the constant praise and adoration of people who expected him to be just like his mother simply because of his name.

In many ways she found herself relating to his reasoning; moving to a city far from home, searching for a place in the world where he wasn't tied to influence of his name, hounded down by extremists for actions he could no control over…in a way, it was almost as if the two were living parallels.

If only for the polar opposite opinions people had of their families.

Still, she found being around him a little less intolerable. Not that being around the blond was a chore, but he certainly didn't help with keeping the peace. Nor was he a big help in keeping to a set plan as her eyes instantly caught him walking away from the weapons shop and towards what appeared to be an antique store just across from their current shop. It was a curious thing to see an antique store inside a rather newly constructed shopping mall, but the heiress payed it little mind as she glanced towards her teammates, seeing them currently occupied with their own devices before sighing and following the blond closely.

She didn't want to risk having him slip away, not when there was a peeved Valkyrie waiting for his return back at Beacon. To think her teammates and her managed to sneak away from Lacroix's grasp long enough to catch an airship to Vale.

As Jaune entered the shop, his eyes instantly began analyzing around, searching for a particular item. The store was empty, a bit of a surprise to the heiress, but in a way she somewhat expected this. With the current generation fixated on whatever new and fancy product was being produced, few ever had time to stop and admire the handmade jewels of an era that was still kicking about, only slightly more vocal with their disdain of the younger generation.

From where she stood, the blond was indeed admiring many pieces, more so the furniture and trinkets from the southern Solitas regions, no surprise there given his heritage, those pieces probably reminded him of home. Actually, now that she thought of it, the Schnee heritage also came from the southern regions of her kingdom, same as the blond. There was a fine difference in regards to the Zieglers and Schnees, the good doctor hailing from the barren mountain ranges, and the heiress' family originating from the more fertile highlands. And though the two spoke a similar language, Atlas was not composed of a single stereotypical identity, and neither were the other kingdoms; Mistral being perhaps the most diverse of the four. Still, in a way it was comforting to know there was someone of a similar heritage to hers, and with first hand knowledge her family would rather bury with lien and prestige.

Shifting in place, the heiress steeled her nerves, biting down any ill remark she could make, and trotted forward. Jaune knew she was approaching, hard not to when the only other footsteps in the store were those of the heiress. A faint smile curved itself on his lips as he spotted a wooden idol of a hawk, his mother had something like this at home; the wood was of a light shade, he would guess it birch, but then when it came to botany there was a severe lack of knowledge, no matter how many times it was hammered into his head by his opa.

"Find anything?" The heiress asked, eyeing a few trinkets, mostly the items resembling tribal clothing and old weapons sharpened to be mere ornaments now.

"New? Not likely." He gave her a coy smile, to which she returned with a slightly amused grin. "Interesting? Well, depends on what you make of it." He held up the wooden idol, noticing the heiress visibly cringe at the sight of it.

"A bit tacky, don't you think?"

Jaune's smile didn't fade; rather, it almost appeared as if it held in it a form of fondness. "Maybe, but that's not what I see." He commented, handing the idol towards the heiress. "Touch it."

She was hesitant, to say the least, but curiosity won over as she took the idol in her hands. And with all honesty, she was impressed by the smoothness of the surface, the detailed wings and body, and how beautifully the streaks of wood made the object stand out as a piece of its own.

"Folks would dismiss this as nothing more than a clichéd ornament, but that's not what I see." The blond gently took the idol back, placing it gently back in its place. "Here I see passion; an art people dedicated their life to. It took time and patience, constant trial and error, and this was the result. In a way, it's a lot like hunters, the grueling training and time we spend dedicating ourselves to our craft. But i suppose the big difference…" Jaune hesitated, observing another idol of a wolf. "Folks won't ever get tired of an extra muscle on their side."

There was a solemn silence that encompassed the shop, a bit odd to have glass walls that kept the noisy sounds of the mall out, but for an antique shop it was somewhat expected. Though, if anything, the heiress was visibly uncomfortable with the unnerving silence, and yet, she could not think of anything to speak of at the moment. Truthfully, what was there to rebuttal that didn't come off as pessimistic or rude?

Those kind of responses came naturally to her, but for the sake of maintaining a modicum of civility she bit down any harsh comments.

"Sorry, just something my opa taught me." He rubbed the back of his neck sheepishly, returning his attention to the brass trinkets now.

His grandfather, and judging by the irritating smile he had each time he mentioned the old crusader, it was a fair assumption that the two were close. Considering Jaune's father was revealed to be deceased, it made sense for the boy to look up to his grandfather. Though, from what she'd been able to gather from other sources; most children tended to have close bonds with their grandparents, a common thing in a normal home.

When her eyes peered up, she only then noticed the blond had disappeared, hearing the sound footsteps in the next aisle. With a visible, albeit restrained sigh, the heiress followed closely behind, watching the blond interact with small wooden boxes. Upon opening them, soft melodic tunes began to play. Although, none of the various tunes playing captivated the blond for long as he shut the boxes no more than a few seconds after each. There wasn't a large selection of music boxes, with the exception of their designs being different each; the music selection was none too far apart. For a moment, the blond seemed almost frustrated with each box he closed. So much so that the heiress chose to take a gander at the items in the shelves across from the music boxes. To which she was greeted with antique mirrors and clothing from eastern Mistral.

However, before she could take a long gander at the items before her, a tune played in the background. Weiss couldn't describe it, but the melody was just so eerie, and comforting. She couldn't decide on which sentiment best fit the tune, but she knew damn well it sent a small chill up her spine when she swore she heard a whisper play along with the song. She turned her head to the blond, realizing the sound was coming from a music box in his hand, though, what caught her attention was the carve designs were not of Atlesian or Mistrilian origin; they were Vacuon. Specifically hailing from the western regions, closest to some of the few fertile plots of land in Sanus. As for her classmate, if there was a word she could use to describe the state he was in; it was as if he were entranced. Looking at him carefully, she noticed how his hands gently caressed the box, gripping it none too tightly, but just enough to keep it from being taken from his grasps.

For Jaune, this was something he personally had been searching for, not the box itself, but the tune being played. Ever since he could remember, it was his lullaby, something his mother played for him each night, just to help him sleep. After a while, and having used it many times; the music box no longer played its melody, not for a long time now. How long has it been since he heard that melody? The comfort it brought him simply to hear the tune, where most were put off by it.

For a moment, albeit fleeting, the blond swore he felt a pair of eyes fixated on him. And it wasn't the heiress' gaze. No, it felt as though it was from outside, but, when his eyes glanced towards the outside, he saw no one.

* * *

**-17 years prior-**

The sounds of muffled shouting and screams were emanating from outside a slightly darkened room. A small crib was positioned just beside an occupied bed; a young girl lay in slumber, her arm draped softly over a small bundle of blankets. The girl's head was nudged gently against the small child; trails of running makeup across her cheeks were shown through the moonlight from the slowly opening window.

With so little effort or noise to be made, a cloaked unknown made its way inside, quiet and clean. It hadn't been long now, not since the video was sent out, not since he'd seen the good old doctor go on such a rampage. Her carnage was a perfect antithesis to her callsign, made worse when she got her hands on the one that mutilated her child.

No one would miss those animals, so rest assured the elimination of the facility was be a blessing. However, to allow it to come to this…

_*sniff*_

Though hooded, the head of the unknown drifted towards the girl sleeping beside the infant, her sniffling was a constant, if one could venture a guess; she had cried herself to sleep. Her purple-dyed hair draped lightly over her face, soaked in sweat and tears.

The hooded figure's hand reached out carefully, hovering just slightly over the head of the girl, gently brushing aside a strand of hair from her face. Their hand drifted towards the child as they leaned slightly to get a closer look.

The infant's hair had yet to grow out much, and it only made the now clean bandages wrapped around his head all the more prominent. His faunus ears were cut clean off, down to the base. How he had not died from blood loss alone was perhaps a testament to a form of potential he possessed; a will to survive and thrive. If the White Fang was smart, they would've mutilated him, first hand, and sent the video after. But for the sake of petty revenge, they chose to broadcast their crime just to see the Atlesian doctor's reaction, and it led to their base being discovered, raided and with every member in the facility slaughtered without a second thought.

A soft hand brushed gently against the little one's cheeks, his little body shifted at the sudden contact of an unknown heat source, however, much to the surprise of the hooded figure; the child nudged closer. His little arms shifted, squirming out of the blanket that encompassed his body. As he nudged his head closer, a hand cupped his cheek, allowing the child to rest comfortably, accepting the heat and drifting back into deep slumber. With each soft breathe the child inched closer to the unknown.

A rasp hum escaped his lips, watching as this infant slept so peacefully after what had happened to him. It was a miracle the boy was able to sleep at all. Though, sparing at glance at the girl, it seemed as though there were others willing to bear the burdens of what he had to endure.

As his hand retracted, the little one's face shifted to one of discomfort as his little hands reached out, searching for the warmth that up and left without warning. His eyes were fluttering open, small droplets of tears were beginning to form. Knowing full well what would happen if this little one chose to cry out now, the unknown's hands reached over and grasped the child in his arms. Carefully repositioning the young girl's arms and gently cradling the little one close to him.

Almost immediately the child eased in, his head nudging against the unknown's chest, wincing slightly and recoiling back when his head nudged too closely against the unknown's chest and poked at his wounds.

It was a moment, a split second, but there was peace of mind for the hooded unknown seeing the boy safe and sound. However, there was work to be done, and idle hands are for the saintly. Still, to hold his child, if only for this one time; was comfort enough for the old veteran. A war was on the horizon, and only time would tell if he would see his little one again.

Of course, this little visit was partially why he came to see the child. Reaching into his coat, the unknown retrieved a small cube, placing it on a drawer across from the bed. Slowly, he lifted the top allowing a tune to come alive. The music box wasn't decorated; it appeared as simple as any other wooden compartment used for storage, but the inside was a culmination of carefully detailed intricacies, resulting in a melody one would be hard press to associate with calming or peaceful. The young blond however remained at peace, even when he was placed back in his crib, all the while the music played softly in the background. Once more, the hooded figure ran a gentle finger across the infant's cheek, tenderly brushing against the little one's hair and careful enough to avoid the bandages.

However, the muffled shouting had stopped, almost immediately. There was a moment where only one pair of feet was rushing up the stairs, followed by an ensemble. It seems she still remembered this little melody, and to whom it was associated with.

Just as the door flung open, and the young girl on the bed sprung to life with the flicker of the lights; the hooded figure was gone, with only the music box as evidence to his presence in the room.

Feeling the space around her, the young girl's breath grew heavy as she frantically searched around, only to hear the soft whines coming from the crib, allowing her to breathe easy. She jumped from her place and released a long sigh when she saw the little blond in bed, perfectly safe. She held back a choked sob as she tried shushing the little one by gently rocking him back to sleep.

Angela paced towards where he child was, seeing him squirming in place, not prepared for the sudden flicker of light and slamming door that awoke him from his slumber.

Gently, the doctor hoisted her child in her arms, cradling him gently while her eyes remained fixed on a wooden music box in front of her bed, the song still playing for all to hear.

What frightened her the most; she knew to whom the music box belonged to, and what it entailed further down the line. Angela's mind was now firm on her decision; she was leaving, going as far from the Kingdoms, from Ozpin, and any other threat to her family. She would protect her son, no matter what. And heaven or hell forbid any soul that attempted to take her baby from her. Nothing would take him from her...

Not even…_him_…

* * *

**AN: I really need to work on my wording; when I said 'don't expect a happy ending' I should've written 'the ending won't be disheartening, but don't expect a happy ending. Expect it to be bitter sweet.' **

**And I in no way am gonna allow the story to end in a tragedy, that I can promise. **

**Now, if ya'll haven't guessed it by now, it should be pretty obvious who Jaune's father is, at least to those who play Overwatch. Though, I shall not reveal it in story until after the battle at the harbor, for plot reasons. Also, yea the good ol doctor will be making an appearance much sooner. Expect a healthy dose of mama Mercy in the coming chapters. **

**Also, for anyone wondering; the song I had in mind for the music box is Illabye by Tipper, I thought it fit well into the aesthetic of what I'm aiming for. **

**Just a little warning, my work load is gonna increase by the time this chapter is uploaded, tough, I will try to have a new one out soon. Thank you all for reading. Thanks for reading.**

**Responses:**

**Underdogking: It's too early for deaths…soon**

**Dracohalo117: Thanks, glad you're enjoying the story.**

**Almighty Spartan: I'm sorry to hear that, honestly I wanted fuse the worlds together where you could tell the difference, but still come out predominantly as a RWBY story. **

**Josh Spicer: No, in no way is Jaune EVER going to bend to anyone's will, not in the context we're discussing at least. I can't stop you if you chose to leave, but rest assured there will be no 'bad ending' for this story. Also, yes, the setup is to have him independent, but in regards to family and trying to find your place in the world; there are hurdles and emotional issues that will need to be resolved before moving forward. Expect loud and messy results. **

**A Nameless Ghost: I'm glad to be back, and honestly, I wanted to avoid the overly possessive sibling route, but honestly, considering the history I've written for the story, it kind of makes sense in the chapters to come. There will definitely be more scenes like this, I guarantee. **

**Ulquiorra Schiffer 1291: You have no idea how happy I am you caught that, I assumed it might've flown over folk's heads. I thought 'well damn, too sublte'. I don't like being too obvious, but I need to be less cryptic. **

**ZenithTempest; Well, we can chalk this up to me needing to work on my wording. The story won't be depressing or tragic, at least not entirely, but I won't be making it completely sunshine and rainbows either. **


	10. War Games I

The fly home was uneventful, to say the least; though, for team RWBY, having to listen to a music box play on repeat, and with a tune none of them would consider 'calming' was less than comfortable. And yet, their blond medic appeared pleased with his purchase. Ruby was busy with purchases of her own; ammunition and a few magazines that kept her up to date on the latest weapon trends. Weiss and Blake were eerily quiet, neither had much to say, but the way their eyes kept glancing over to the blond medic was unsettling. Though, both did so for different reasons. Yang was leaning against the bullhead's window, watching the clouds float by with her eyelids fluttering each second. Her eyes glanced over to where her fellow blond sat, he'd fallen asleep with his music box open, and for some odd reason none of her team thought to shut the thing off.

How Jaune was able to sleep so soundly, much less consider that form of music a lullaby, was a mystery. But damned if it wasn't making itself appealing after a while. Sparing him a glance, she wondered what exactly was going through his head, all things considered. Most folks tended to be a bit paranoid when assassins were called in to send a message, yet he seemed oddly calm, relaxed even. But, then again, she remembered him saying it wasn't the first time he'd been targeted, and damned if it didn't make her worried for her younger sibling. After all, Ruby considered him a friend, and if he was being targeted, there was a chance her baby sister might get caught in the crossfire.

It made her ponder whether she should consider shifting Ruby away from his social group; avert danger before it had a chance to rear itself as a possibility. But…when her eyes fell on her little sister, a haunting thought echoed in her head; Ruby wouldn't detach herself so easily. Everytime she looked, her sister would look older and older, to the point that the girl was now her team leader, two years ahead of her peers. She had finally made friends here, and her first being the medic of their 'sister team' and the one with a target on his head. Knowing Ruby, she'd want to protect her friend, playing the part of hero and standing beside him to prove justice would prevail. And thankfully, from what little she knew of the blond; he'd do the same. To an unnerving degree, hell, if pushed enough, she was sure the two of them would cheerfully exact revenge on anyone who dared harm Ruby. On that, she had a feeling she could count on him to take her side on.

For a moment, there was silence, something the four students found small comfort in before the music box began playing again, much to the ice queen's chagrin.

"Ya know, it kinda gets to you after a while." Yang commented, leaning her head against the seat and closing her eyes, somehow finding the music comforting now that she'd been hearing it on loop.

"He said his mom used to play it for him, like a lullaby to help him sleep." Weiss commented, her own eyes focused on the scenery through the window, just as their school was coming into view. She quickly took note of a rather large airship docked in.

"That's a lullaby?...Doctor Ziegler has an…interesting taste in music, apparently." Blake noted, her eyes took a quick glance at the music box before reaching out and gently shutting the thing close. Her teammates gave her a look, then quickly turning their heads to the blond. Although the music had stopped, he was still sound asleep, far off in his dreams. His hair shifted with the sudden pocket of air the Bullhead hit. Seeing his hair shift prompted a sudden revelation to plop its way back into the forefront of the young ninja's mind. A piece of information she had forgotten to relay to her team, and given their resident snow queen, she wondered whether it would be wise to reveal who he is. Being a faunus was dangerous enough, but if his father's involvement with the Fang was brought into the equation; Blake wasn't sure how'd the heiress would react, but it wouldn't be calm and collected, that was for sure.

"Damn, sleeping like a baby." Yang whispered with a toothy grin. "A giant baby." Her hand subconsciously ruffled the blond's hair, gently enough to avoid waking him. Being an older sibling, she'd done this long enough to know how much pressure to apply so as to not wake the victim. Though, in the midst of ruffling his hair, the brawler's hand stopped abruptly. Her fingers gently danced along his head, feeling up two areas that made her brows furrow.

Blake was sweating bullets at this point, being the only one to know what her teammate was probably feeling up; scars. While she was curious as to what type of faunus the blond was, she was more inclined to hear from him rather than to have her team come up with assumptions as to why he had symmetrical scars on his head akin to where one would expect an extra pair of ears to be.

Ruby was, if anything, curious as to what her sister was doing. Weiss was silent, though, she was as well slightly curious as to what drew the brawler's curiosity.

Very carefully, Yang parted the blond's hair, her eyes widened at the sight. Her hands recoiled, feeling something she shouldn't have made the brawler realize the sudden invasion of space she had just committed; all for the sake of curiosity…Nora was going to kill her, no question there. That bubbly bomber was overly protective of her teammates, barely even knowing them and she considered the lot her family. Well, she knew Ren prior to attending, but Pyrrha and Jaune were quickly added to her roster.

"You done?" Weiss asked, believing her teammate to have come to her senses and realized what she'd been doing.

"Uh…yea…" Yang muttered.

"You ok, Yang?" Ruby asked, seeing her sister pale when she sat back down and her eyes occasionally darting up to the medic's head.

"I..uh…I don't know. I think I touched something I shouldn't have." The brawler muttered, earning confused expressions from the heiress and her sister, yet a faint glare from her partner.

"That's an understatement." The four nearly jumped at the sound of the medic's voice, although groggy, revealed he was very much awake. And slightly irritated, that or the fatigue from being woken up so suddenly had him in a temporary state of ire. As he sat up, he ruffled up his hair again, his fingers brushing lightly around the same areas the brawler's flinched at. "Quick tip; buy me a drink before you start getting handsy." He threw a half-hearted toothy grin her way, allowing the teen to let out a breath she hadn't realized she'd been holding in. While she would normally respond with her own quirk, Yang opted for silence instead.

The blond yawned loudly before gazing at the ever growing closer academy, his eyes immediately catching sight of a customized airship, bigger and bulkier than the standard bulkheads, almost as if it were a portable home in the sky. The ship itself was adorned with a coat of snow white paint, streaks of black and gold lined the wings and hull. Plastered proudly on the rear of the ship was his mother's emblem; the golden halo adorned with angelic wings. It was a sight he detested, more for what the emblem was associated with; freedom and heroism. Two words devoid of meaning in the Ziegler household, and ones rarely, if ever, practiced.

He averted his gaze from the eyesore, smirking lightly with a tint of malice when reminded that this was his mother's third personal ship. The first was an unfortunate 'accidental' joyride that ended with charred chunks of metal still found scattered across the mountain side of his hometown. The second…was both to poke the ire of his dear ole mother, and to send a strong message to a group of fanatics that thought it a good idea to set up another base in his home town. Now those were some fireworks…

The blond felt a grin tug at his lips as he leaned back in his seat, his brow raised at the sight of his friends glancing at him curiously, Blake in particular.

"So Jaune…" Weiss began, coughing into her fist to gain the blond's attention. To which when he gave her a faint gaze, she gestured to the oversized airship on the school's rather small airpad. "I'm assuming that's…"

"My mother's ship." He answered curtly, with as little irritation as he could manage. "Seeing as how the school is still in one piece and Ozpin isn't crying for merc…my grandparents probably came with her." His near uttering of that word had the brawler with a shit-eating grin, waiting for him to deliver the punch-line, only for her face to drop as he jumped right over that little obstacle.

Although, his comments did indeed capture the the girl's attention, in particular the bit of the good doctor and Ozpin slightly unsettled the sister team. Though, before any words could be spoken, the teens felt the airship shutter just as it finally touched down, there was a moment of hesitation as the girls rose from their seats while the blond remained in place.

At first, the girls assumed he needed a moment to stand from the long trip; maybe his foot had fallen asleep. But as time passed, and the blond remained firmly planted in his seat; they had begun to wonder if their friend was alright. It was the reaper of the huntresses in training that noticed the slight trembling in his breathing, and how he referred to his mother's personal vessel made his voice harden a little.

The blond collected his thoughts for a moment, taking in a deep breath before rising up and walking towards the ramp. Though, before he could even take a step down; the blond stopped dead in his tracks. The girls behind him conversing amongst themselves were unaware of his sudden halt and bumped somewhat harshly into him. With Yang being at the front of her team, she had crashed into what she felt akin to a brick wall with skin.

"Oi, bunny boy, you thinking of moving?" Her question was met with silence. When her eyes peered over his shoulder, she caught sight of what appeared to be dark tanned woman standing at the end of the ramp. She had medium length raven hair, battle-hardened ebony eyes with an odd tattoo under her right eye, and a rather impressive show of muscle tone displayed by her skin-tight navy blue muscle shirt. A rather well-endowed bosom section, something that made the brawler feel just a tad bit out-gunned. The known as well had grey training paints, and a nearly worn-out set of running shoes. What demanded attention at the moment was her rather piercing glare aimed directly at the blond.

The unknown raised her right arm, finger extended and pointed directly at the blond, then pointing to the space in front of her, all the while eyeing him with that heated glare. Both Ruby and Yang felt the urge to stand in front of their friend to act as a shield, especially when they noticed something they should've at first; an extra pair of ears atop the woman's head; jackal ears to be precise.

Both the heiress' assumed the obvious, and though they lacked their weapons; the girls had in mind to use their semblances to keep this possible intruder busy while their weapon-lockers came in.

Though, much to their shock, Jaune instead walked forward, ignoring their somewhat silent pleas for either answers or to go back with them.

Jaune knew this would come eventually, he had hoped it would be later on, perhaps he'd be given enough time to allow the weight of his actions to simmer down before eventually confronting his family. And of all the kin he chose to hide his intentions from, the woman awaiting him was the one he least wanted to leave in the dark. But knowing her; she would've either attempted every civil way to talk him out of it…or, she would've gone the usual route and gotten the good ole doctor involved.

As he inched ever closer, he could see her expression was in a struggle between unbridled anger; and relief.

As he stopped before her, his eye aiming upward, hers casted downwards just slightly.

A pregnant silence followed, leaving the students halfway down the ramp both cautious and confused at the turn of events. They were able to relax seeing as no confrontation or brawl broke out between the two. Though, they kept their guards up just in case.

While the woman was eyeing him down, the blond wanted so badly to avert his gaze, to turn away from her glare with his head hung low. Her crossed arms had balled fists, trembling each second as she pondered what her next move would be.

Realizing there was no easy way out of this; Jaune released a light sigh before steeling himself for what came next.

"I…before yo-" Before he could finish, the woman chose instead to cut in sternly.

"Do you know where I was?" The question, albeit asked in a hush tone, came with enough authority to throw the blond off, and shutting him up instantly. The woman's glare remained, even when the girls tried approaching. It took only a single glance their way to make the huntresses in training freeze on the spot. Seeding fear into the hearts of people was a specialty of hers, hell; she did it for a living. But, nothing could've prepared her for the aching pain at seeing the boy, as well, recoil when under her gaze. It was not something she ever enjoyed, however… "I was in Vacuo, a continent away, when I suddenly get a call from Angela. Do you have any idea how much pain and fear you caused with your little stunt?" She faintly growled. "Or would you rather I list it off?"

Jaune turned his head away, either knowing the answer and ashamed to admit it or he truly didn't realize the wider scope of repercussions for his actions. Which, justifiably, served to piss her off just as much as when he decided to run off.

"You left no note; purposely hid from every contact we had, applied for an academy we've warned you about countless times over. Your mother pulled every string she had, unearthed every little oddity you tried to obscure, and even fought her way through nearby Fang cells in the hopes that you were in them." That last bit in particular caught the amber eyes girl's attention rather intently as she remembered the unbridled hatred this family holds for the White Fang. And as it appears, they have friends amongst the faunus who shared the same sentiment. The woman gestured to the Valkyrie on the platform. "That is the fourth replacement; the last was downed in a Fang camp near the outskirts of Husk."

"There's Fang in Husk?" Jaune asked, genuinely curious.

The woman's glare did not ease, but it did ease her rant. "Not anymore." She growled out, causing Blake to flinch. With each talk of their family actively fighting the White Fang, it made her wonder what their reactions would be if they discovered her previous association.

The blond let out a faint whistle, his brow rose for a second before his eyes averted. "How many more can she afford? I didn't think she got payed much in Overwatch."

The girls behind him blinked at the mention of the organization of hunters who once held such influence across Remnant that made each member a celebrity of sorts. The best of each kingdom's academy, and the infamous emblem was known to all. That is, until their inevitable downfall seventeen years prior. Now, only the deeds and rumors of their actions were remembered, be it for better or worst.

"Don't change the subject." The woman scolded, directing the topic back to their original discussion. "And don't get any ideas." She seethed out.

Jaune shrugged, shaking his head as he turned to leave. "Fine." He only took two steps towards the airship before he felt a hand grip at his shoulder tightly, making him wince. Not a second later either, he was just about to sprint it to the airship and close the doors. Still, he was at least able to reach a few steps before being turned around and now held within the vice grip of an angered woman.

"And where do you think you're going?" Her tone was flat, and her expression was just as lifeless as her eyes.

"I was thinking tacos for lunch; maybe even grab a couple beers. Who's in? I'm paying."

Yang's hand immediately shot up, only for her partner to force it down when the woman's eyes spared them a glance.

Weiss on the other hand crossed her arms before answering. "It's eleven-thirty, Jaune." She replied.

"Thank you, Weiss." He retorted dryly.

_*ahem*_

Both the woman and the blond froze in place, their expressions shifted to one of shock just as a shiver ran up their spines.

"I wondered what was taking so long." Appearing, as if from thin air, was an elderly woman walking calmly towards the group. The blond and woman quickly stood at attention, facing forward and stood straight. The woman's eyes gave a quick peek towards the blond; she quickly licked the tip of her finger before adjusting his hair. Much to the medic's annoyance, she continued with adjusting his uniform and wiping specks of dirt from his cheeks. Though he grumbled and lightly swatted her away, she continued. All of this played out with a healthy dose of confusion for the huntresses in training. The elderly woman stopped just as she was a few feet from the blond. Her lips curled into a smile as she gazed up at her grandson with open arms, to which he accepted, holding her tightly. "Hello again, Habibatan." She greeted him with a soft voice, and as he broke from the embrace, she was quick to grab hold of his cheek, pulling him down and planting a soft peck before pinching and pulling playfully, earning a chuckle from the teen. One thing she took quick notice was the faint droplet building at the corner of his eyes. "It is good to see you again."

"And you as well, Nana." Jaune's expression shifted, more so when he noticed the slight limp in her walk over to him. "I'm sorry you had to come all the way out here. To Vale I mean."

To which Ana swatted his chest and scoffed with a mirthful grin. "You think I would miss seeing all my grandbabies in one place?"

Jaune crossed his arms, his playful smirk remaining, though mixed in with skepticism. "Right, and seeing my mother give Ozpin a piece of her mind wasn't a factor?"

"That's just a bonus." The two shared a jovial laugh, all the while leaving the students with the blond all the more confused, and slightly concerned with the inclination that the Ziegler family also held a grudge against the school's headmaster. Ana took a moment to look over her grandson in his uniform before her eyes caught sight of the girls behind him, each of which shifting slightly whilst under her sights. If one took a close enough peer into the woman's eyes, they could see a spark of joyful cheer. She quickly grabbed his hands and led him towards the girls, the woman kept in tow, keeping a close eye on the blond. "And who are these young ones? Friends I hope?"

Hearing this, Ruby was the first to chime in her confirmation. "Yes ma'am, Jaunes' been my first friend since I came to Beacon."

Blake, albeit a bit hesitant, also confirmed with a nod. Yang threw out a thumb up, along with a toothy grin.

Weiss…

"That remains to be seen."

Was rather neutral, though, when she saw the widened eyes of the medic and woman, she had wondered if she had spoken too soon. Her fears were only slightly amplified when the amazon of a woman's brows furrowed at her. Though, the older woman's smile did not cease, but rather, it appeared to widen.

"Aww, Weiss, I'm touched." His little taunt was met with a playful swat to his shoulder by the elder woman.

"So, a work in progress? That is fine as well, no need for rushing; friendships are not forged in a day." She had had released her hold on the boy, allowing him to caress his slightly reddened cheek. "Besides, it isn't uncommon for my little one to step on people's nerves; he gets it from his mother." She feigned an attempt to whisper that last bit, though the tone of her voice proved loud enough for all to hear. "The social awkwardness and constant lack of communication comes from her, though." She gestured to the woman behind Jaune, beaming red with a crimson blush as she glared angrily at the smirking elder.

"MOM!"

Rather than just simply leave it at that, the elder woman chose to continue onward, seeing as her words elicited a few stifled giggles from the slightly-relaxed teens.

"Ah, but first, introductions." Her smile was warm and soothing, it made the young huntresses feel at ease; safe, if you will. "Habibatan, if you will."

Momentarily relishing on the still flustered woman, the blond walked over, standing side-by-side with his grandmother. "Nana these are my friends, and my team's sister team…whatever that means." He mumbled none so softly, introducing each girl respectively. "Ruby, Yang, Blake, and….princess." He threw a quick jab at the young heiress, catching a faint narrowed gazed aimed at him. "Ladies, this lovely woman is my nana; Ana Amari. The only woman in this world who can scare the hell out of you whilst also making you feel as though you're only safe near her."

Ana waved politely at the girls, slightly enjoying their gaping jaws, stifling a giggle at the white-haired one. It didn't take much for the sniper to recognize the heiress, much less the one with the black bow. But for them to recognize her, well, that was another story.

Who wouldn't know the name of one of the original founding members of an organization of hunters and huntresses brought together to spread peace and justice throughout all of Remnant. Or at least, that was the idea.

Still, Amari was a household name, her achievements and battlefield prowess made her a force to be reckoned with. And it only dawned on the young huntresses that the woman was related to the blond, if the word nana hasn't changed in its meaning. For Ruby, this going to take a lot longer to take in, it was one thing for the blond to be related to a Crusader and doctor Ziegler; but add in one of the most decorated and renowned snipers of an bygone age and the young huntress was close to blowing a gasket in her excitement. There were so many questions she had in mind to ask, the priority being was asking of a certain metallic badge she had once found amongst her father's belongings, and its significance to the organization the sniper belonged to.

As for the heiress, her brain was still processing the fact that the blond's mother was the world-renowned doctor Ziegler, a woman whose research paved the way for much more innovative medical feats. And now, a former member to a once proud organization was revealed to be his grandmother. It was sending the heiress through a hurdle of mental loops she was not yet ready to cope with.

There was a slight nudge from the sniper as she gestured to the towering woman, the blond sparing her a quick glance. She seemed hesitant, though the mild tint of pink in her cheeks proved something akin to shyness. This was nothing like the image they were greeted to not minutes prior. The first impression was a person projecting authority and demanding your respect and attention. Since the arrival of Amari, her demeanor seemed to have mellowed, allowing for a more pacified, yet still intimidating aura. A mix of Blake and Ruby if you will.

Jaune's smile softened, he had managed to wrap a free arm around the woman and bring her in for an embrace. Judging by her reaction; it was unexpected, and due to lack of resistance, it was not unwelcomed either. "Girls, this is someone who means just as much to me as my mother does. She's stuck by me through the hardest parts of my life, and I can never thank her enough for choosing to be in my life. And trust me, I've got some stories that would make you think she was a saint of patience." His words managed to broker a twinging mix of a smile and irritation on her lips. "I'm proud to introduce you to Fareeha Amari, my mom."

The girls looked upon this amazon with just as much awe as when they first met her. To think she meant that much to their medic, for her to be seen in such high regard that to him she was his…wait…

It took the teens a minute to reboot, longer for the team leader as they allowed those bits of information to process carefully. Their eyes shifted from the medic, to the amazon, and so forth in a continuous loop.

This came as one helluva surprise to them, mostly because the blond did not mention this woman at all, and adding in she appeared almost as young as the Vaswani woman. There were many questions these girls had, and neither of them wondered if they'd get answers to them considering the secretive nature the blond preferred to keep his life in.

Of course, if they implications were correct with their assumptions, they had nothing against the idea of the blond having two mothers, hell it was the least of the social issues plaguing society. Make no mistake, there still remained a fraction of folks against the idea, but the girls were in no way judgmental. Though the Schnee heiress had her reserves, considering how the blond turned out, with what little she had to compare between him and herself; she got the short-end of the stick. It was one thing for him to be Angela Ziegler's son, but to also be raised by this Amazonian of a woman whose mother was a previous member of Overwatch; she could only wonder what that did for a person's reputation.

Whereas she was met with furrowed brows and suspicious glances, he was probably met with adoration and admiration. There was an aching pain igniting in her chest at the seemingly lucky life this brute had, and yet unlike her, he chose not to flaunt his family name. Not once did she hear him brag about his mother's achievements, or that his family was made up of legends and warrior-like people, with the cat-girl being the only exception.

Blake suddenly felt irritated; most of her ire was focused on the heiress, for some strange reason.

Well, it this was certainly an eye-opening moment, particularly since she remembered her father berating the idea of two same-sexed individuals being capable of raising a family, and yet here stood the contradiction to his very words. A medic-hunter, leader of his team, and from first glance; a walking tank. In a way, it made the heiress feel smaller than how she usually felt, height aside, she took a glance at him, then to herself.

While there was a clear difference in upbringing, and surely in their fighting style, she still knew her reasons for being in Beacon, and she was not going to allow herself to be brought down so easily just yet. Like the blond, there were still a number of tricks she could pull out to gain the upper hand. She was in no way going to play second to this medic.

Ana clasped her hands together, her infectious smile allowed the sense of comfort to settle once more in the teens. "Now that we're all acquainted, I believe it is time to face your maker, habibatan."

Though he showed no visible reaction, Jaune could feel his body hair standing on end, the image of a visibly angered blonde was an issue; after he'd played a normal prank. An angry mother was something he was sued to, but given the severity of his actions; he'd be feeling a burning pain in his cheeks for years to come. And knowing his nana was here too, he couldn't find it in him to just run off…again. And judging by the fact that the school was still in one piece, there was hope he wouldn't be in as much trouble as he thought.

Without awaiting his input, he felt a hand press on his shoulder. He glanced up to see his mom gazing down on him, her expression was a mix of anger and worry. "I'll step in if Angela goes too far."

"Why would you say that?" He groaned out, remembering the moments in his life he deeply regretted pissing his mother off intentionally. Woman had a knack for delivering unique punishments, none of them ever physical.

* * *

**-Outside JNPR's dorm-**

He couldn't do it.

He felt his heart rate increase when the elevator dinged, indicating they'd stopped on the appropriate floor. It increased with each step towards his team's room. And it was pounding against his chest when he stood just outside his dorm room. There was no avenue for escape either, with team RWBY on one side, and his family on the other, he had no choice but to face the music. To top it all off, the teens had no clue as to what was happening, but their curiosity was maxed out when they were quickly informed, after the elder sniper's morbid-sounding comment, of who Jaune's maker was. It turned out his mother, the good doctor, was in Beacon, and waiting for him in his dorm.

As such, they chose to tag along, each for their own reasons. Ruby was obviously curious, wanting to meet another legendary member of a bygone age, and to meet more of the colorful members of her friend's family. And hopefully, to get an answer as to why each one who had shown up wanted to take the blond out of Beacon.

Yang was more curious than anything, like her sister she was giddy to meet a war hero. Though, she was less inclined to intrude on whatever family business they had to settle, so she tagged along just to make sure her little sister stayed out of it. Contrary to popular belief, the brawler was in no way nosy when it came to a person's private family matters. Of course, that didn't mean she wasn't curious, she just chose to respect the privacy of the issue.

Blake and Weiss both wanted to meet the doctor, possibly ask a couple questions, and answer a set of questions each had.

Jaune's hands tightly gripped the doorknob, his chest showing visible signs of his heart rate going at a pace one would consider seeing a doctor for. Ironic, in a sense. Though, steeling himself for what was to come, the blond swung the door open, his eyes momentarily shut and braced…

But after a few seconds; nothing. He opened his eyes, only to find himself at the entrance of an empty room. No sign of scrolls or loose articles of clothing he expected from his teammates, instead everything was prim and proper. To which he could assume who was to blame for the sudden cleanliness.

"Well, that was anticlimactic." He muttered, somewhat bitterly.

"Mr. Ziegler. Ms. Belladonna." Goodwitch called out, making both him and the amber-eyed girl jump in place. The professor walked calmly towards them with a clipboard in hand, and an expression one would normally reserve for a long winded berating. "Neither of you returned the previous night. Care to share the nature of your whereabouts the night prior?" Her cold tone was unnerving, more so when she had her riding crop in hand. But before the shell-shocked teens could muster a coherent response, she held up a hand. "Of course, as much as I would enjoy listening to whatever half-baked excuse your teenage minds could conjure up; it can wait. Headmaster Ozpin has requested you and team RWBY to report to the new combat arena, entrance B. And before you say anything, a package came for you and is waiting in the armory. Once you've been geared, report to the debrief lounge, just outside the armory." She pushed up the tip of her glasses before glaring down at her students. "And if you're searching for Doctor Ziegler, I'm afraid she and Ozpin crossed paths just before your arrival." That sentence filled the adults and the blond with a momentary sense of dread. "However, surprising as it is, the school is still in one piece. Regardless, you and a select few of your classmates have been called on for a training exercise, and try not to keep the headmaster waiting." She took one last glance at Fareeha, her stare lingered for a few seconds before a tint of red sprouted on her cheeks. Goodwitch was quick to arrive, and even quicker in her leave.

All the while, Ana elbowed her daughter lightly, giving her a mischievous grin. "See, it's always the blondes." She commented, earning a chuckle from the medic, and a blushing mess of a daughter.

Jaune, wasting no time, was quick to fast-pace away, with the brawler and heiress quickly realizing they too had been called on to partake in the training exercise. With a giddy grin, Yang ran up to the blond, snaking an arm around his neck, all the while whispering something in his ear that made the blond blush heavily. He stole a glance towards his mom, then to Yang. Soon after, he was sprinting towards the combat arena, with the brawler cackling behind him. The heiress had only just broken from her stupor before following them as well, albeit at a slow and brisk pace.

Leaving the four onlookers to question what exactly had just happened, more so Fareeha as she could swore she heard something along the lines of 'mommy' in the brawler's whisper.

"Does this combat arena have a place for us to observe I wonder?" Ana asked the remaining students.

To which the two were at a loss. They knew the arena was being remolded a while before they were enrolled, but neither knew that it had been completed. All the same, they guided the two women towards the stadium, unaware of a pair of crimson orbs eyeing them from afar.

* * *

**-Training Arena- **

It didn't take long for the brawler or the heiress to change into their respective combat gear. Hell, their battle attire could technically count as regular attire if you cut out the weaponry and ammo pouches. Still, what was surprising to them was finding Nora waiting for them, her arms crossed and an expression one would akin to a mother catching her children sneaking in after curfew. It took quite a bit to calm her down, especially when she waved her hammer at them nonchalantly. Though, they could only assume she hadn't done anything due to the other two participants waiting in the entry way with them. Upper classmen, a mountain of a man wielding a greatsword, and an orange-themed teen sharpening his blades; Yatsuhashi and Fox, respectively.

"So, where were our partners last night?" Nora asked, holstering her hammer, though the glint of annoyance remained, mostly due to her not being able to threaten anyone with broken legs. All the while Yang was using backing into the heiress, causing said Schnee to keep the blonde from inching backwards and answering the red-head's questions.

"Jaune said they stayed at his uncle's home." She answered, a bead of sweat dripped down her forehead. Yang was afraid of very few things, Nora being one of the things she couldn't fathom understanding. The two were close in prowess and power, however, while the brawler was not one to back down from a challenge, she was less than inclined to face off against a girl who'd cut the blonde's locks just to get a fight out of her…that was one of the reasons Nora was not allowed anywhere near Yang with scissors, lest the two end up in a brawl just at the sounds of snipping metal.

Though she didn't appear to buy it, the red-head chose to accept it on account of the rest of her teammates, RWBY, and the upper classmen's team arrived. Ren and Pyrrha were walking with the rest of their sister team, Ren seemingly minding his own thoughts, meanwhile Pyrrha seemed enthralled with whatever the young reaper was going on about.

"She's really sweet, told me she'd make me some cookies after whatever it is Professor Ozpin needs from us."

"She really is, isn't she?" Pyrrha agreed, if Nora had to guess, they were probably discussing the little moment of hosting the Ziegler family in their dorm room. It was…an experience to say the least. It was one thing to meet his other mom, and it was an absolute delight to meet his grandparents, the big lug for sure…but…

"What about Mercy, did you guys meet her?" Ruby asked with stars in her eyes, beaming happily at her friend, only to see both Pyrrha and Ren express different reactions from what she expected. For one, Ren appeared almost troubled by the mention of the good doctor, unnerved if you will. And Pyrrha? She was almost downtrodden, for she had indeed met her idol. However, suffice to say, the old saying is true; never meet your heroes.

"Yes…" Pyrrha managed to mutter a response, her eyes shifting away as she could now feel the eyes of her sister team locked on to her with confusion and curiosity. "She…she didn't say a lot…or, at all. She was very quiet, didn't talk or look at anyone. She just kept an eye on a picture frame Jaune keeps on his nightstand."

"You mean the one of his mother?" Blake asked, garnering a questioning gaze from her teammates, as well as the Spartan.

"Ummm…yes, that one." She answered, unsure of how the amber-eyed girl knew, though, she didn't even know if that bit of information was worth knowing at all.

The two upperclassmen ignored the ramblings, choosing instead to meet up with what was possibly the rest of their team.

The sounds of metal clanking against metal echoed in the room, garnering all eyes to zero in on the cause of the sound. And much to the surprise of the students present, it was the blond medic, fully armored and prepped for combat. Although, this latest rendition of his attire was…interesting to say the least. To those who knew Mercy and knew her white armor variant and the classic Rein armor design; the set was a near mix of the two. With a less bulky exterior, the blond moved much more quietly, albeit with still the occasional clanking of his set. Though his armor was less dense there was less of a chance to give away his location from restricted movement and thundering steps. The shades were now a pure white coating, with the outlines of gold, and a gold/orange serape wrapped neatly around his waist. Attached to his prosthetic was a port for his scroll, and gripped tightly in his fingers was his trusty mace. His shield was of a different variant to the one he had used during initiation; yet if it was anything like the one he used then, it would extend and provide a healthy cover for him to fall back on. He still bared no helmet, but rather, adorned on his head was a metal band of sorts, something akin to a halo. The gold band was a snug fit, and it appeared as thought the blond's constant fiddling with it suggested he was not quite sure with the added ensemble.

However, what did catch the eye of the bubbly red-head, was the back in his shield hand. like the previous version, it was a hefty thing, and it had those three nails she was none too comfortable with.

Jaune stretched out his limbs a little more, adjusting his body to the feel and weight of his new gear. Without warning, he holstered his mace and turned to his partner, the bubbly bomber blinked once before glancing her eyes upwards to meet his.

The two stared at one another in silence, Nora's brows furrowed, remembering how he didn't come back to his dorm and instead chose to party it up in Vale without his team. Not to mention, leaving her and the team to deal with the silent mother an overprotective aunt who rambled on about how they married the wrong cowboy.

"Hey…" He greeted her, treading lightly.

Good. He knew he messed up keeping her in the dark, all the more reason for her to plan out how to punish him for worrying her the way he did.

"Could you give me a hand?" He gestured to his pack.

Without uttering a word, Nora, still livid, held out her palms. Though, when she received the device she nearly fell over, not realizing how heavy the damn thing was. She managed to recover her ire, though, there was little to salvage with how spectacular her shock was when given the pack. Jaune turned around, going down on one knee and giving her a clear idea where to place the pack; the three holes on his armor were a dead giveaway. Reluctantly, she hoisted the pack and managed to insert the nails.

From his end, she could hear a set of beeps just as the nails whirled to life, each inserting one by one. Her fingers lingered on him, gripping his shoulders absentmindedly. She felt his body tense, trembling with each inserted nail. Her heart clenched, hoping it was not what her imagination had conjured that was what her partner was going through at the moment.

"I'll never get used to that." He muttered, lifting himself off the ground. Only to feel a hand gripping his.

He turned to find his partner glaring at him, as well as the rest of his team.

"You and I are gonna have a long talk after this." Nora promised, her finger jabbing vigorously at his chestplate, and he felt every jab.

There was a census that the blond would either ignore her threat, or he'd play it off.

"Alright, I owe you that much."

While it wasn't what they expected, there was still a lingering thought that he'd just find a way to avoid the conversation all together. But then, when it came to his partner…

'_Students…'_

A female voice spoke through a holographic panel; a series of images covered the display, allowing them full view of hunters and huntresses from ages long since passed. To their surprise, portraits of themselves popped up on the upper left former of the display.

'_Welcome to the Field Simulated Training Arena, with the art of conflict growing and changing with each passing year, it has come to the decision of the headmasters that hunters in training will be tested in a variety of simulations that licensed hunters face on a daily basis. To make it brief, welcome to the war games, where you and your fellow classmates will be placed in randomized/assigned teams of six, pitted against one another in several of the more common assignments hunters are tasked for. Keep in mind, this is by no means a literal game, and must be treated as though an actual mission debrief. With that in mind…'_

The portraits of the students enlarged, and a blank text block appeared.

'_For your simulation…your war game shall be...' _

The monitor ran through several different files, the students caught glimpses of images from each possible simulation. After several seconds, the text finally produced a simulation variant.

'_Payload.'_

The eleven present students were clearly confused; the blond medic however was more or less thrilled.

'_In this simulation, there will be two teams; Defenders and Attackers. Defenders will be tasked with defending marked checkpoints across a single path on the map, while the Attackers will be tasked with escorting the payload past the checkpoints to its final destination. Simple enough, though, keep in mind; there are no 'respawns' in this simulation. Once your aura is shattered, you are effectively out of commission. For Defenders, with each lost member, a battle bot will replace the fallen teammate, controllable only through the leader's scroll. As for Attackers, there will be no reinforcements.'_

The room felt uneasy, more so for the young reaper who chose to voice her opinion regarding this particular set of rules.

"That hardly seems fair." Ruby commented, earning a side glance from the medic.

"Actual missions rarely are. Besides, it makes sense; the Defenders have the homefield advantage, while the Attackers are going into enemy territory, whatever they have on them is what they will have to work with." Jaune spoke those words as if talking through a lens of experience, and perhaps in a way, he did speak with wisdom. However, that didn't allow it to go down any easier for the reaper.

'_Attackers have ten minutes to escort their payload, with each cleared checkpoint a small addition of time will be given. The missions ends when either of the following is met; the delivery of the payload, the complete decimation of the Attacking team, or the allotted time has run out.' _

"Seems simple enough." Blake commented, gaining a faint nod from the heiress.

"Agreed, but this is starting to sound more and more like an actual game." Weiss pointed out, masterfully hiding the giddy in her voice as, unbeknownst to those present; she was indeed a fan of these forms of games. And now, she was about to partake in what appeared to be a live-action version of one. And though she knew the important and significance of these simulations, she was still over the shattered moon with this simulation.

Of course, there was one underlying fact of all of this; she would not lose. Under any circumstance.

'_Selecting teams now.' _

Now here was were breaths hitched. Randomized teams meant there was an obvious chance the teams were not going to stick with their original members, or at least not all of them. Meaning they'd have to adapt to their new members and their fighting styles. Which, for the three team leaders, meant one of them would have to stand down, and work the simulation under another's orders.

'_Team A, Defenders, will consist of; Ruby Rose, Pyrrha Nikos, Yang Xiao Long, Coco Adel, Lie Ren, and Velvet Scarlatina.'_

The aforementioned team's portraits were highlighted with a blue hue around their frames, as well as a door opposite of them lighting up, indicating their entry point. The Defenders looked to one another, albeit wary at first, eventually were met with awkward smiles and waves; primarily between the rabbit upperclassman and the young reaper.

'_Team B, Attackers, will consist of; Jaune Ziegler, Yatsuhashi Daichi, Nora Valkyrie, Blake Belladonna, Fox Alistair, and Weiss Schnee.'_

Their portraits were highlighted with a red hue, the door opposite the blue door opened, allowing both teams their entryways into the simulation. Weiss felt her eye twitch at the idea of having the medic on her team, however, if there was one thing a team always needed, especially one with limited supplies; it was someone to patch them up when they're down. When she gave the blond a quick glance, her eyes met his, and though she wanted to look away, she was instead met with a faint grin and a curt nod from the blond.

She was indifferent on how to feel about that gesture, but one thing was for certain, she was going all out on this simulation.

'_This simulation marks the first of many for Beacon's aspiring huntsmen. Do keep in mind, you shall be observed, not only by your headmaster and professors, but also by a small gathering of individuals present today to determine the effectiveness and importance of these war games. Now then, each respective team make your way towards your assigned areas. The match will begin in five minutes.'_

And with that, the program shut off for the time being, allowing the few present to glance at one another respectively. Neither had gotten a chance to coin in their cents over how they felt regarding this whole simulation thing. Though, they couldn't deny the appeal of being able to act out actual missions licensed hunters performed.

"Guess we'll be fighting each other this time around." That voice popped their small delusions of the training, eyeing the blond as he spoke to his male teammate. "No hard feelings after we mop the floor with you?" Jaune offered a hand to Ren, to which the teen shook it with a subtle glint of mischief in his eyes.

"Heh, funny, I was gonna say the same thing." Ren shot back, earning a feral grin from Nora as she clung on to the blond's back.

"We're not gonna lose, Renny." Nora declared with a raised fist, earning a chuckle from the Mistral champion.

"Weiss…" The heiress found herself staring at her partner, mumbling to herself as she twiddled her fingers together. "Looks like we aren't gonna be on the same side for this one partner."

Before the reaper could speak further, the heiress raised a palm up, silencing the reaper. "I promise I'll take it easy on you." Those words brought color back to the young leader's skin. She let out a relieved sigh as her shoulders slumped. "However…" Weiss' eyes glossed over the Defenders roster. "I make no promises for them."

"Oh…" Ruby's bright smile returned after affirming she was safe from her partner's enthusiasm. "That's fine."

'_Four minutes remaining'_

And with that little reminder, the teams were quick to scurry off to their assigned areas. Or rather, the first years were quick to scramble, the upper classmen looked at one another with suspicious glances before dividing and making their way to their respective sides. All the while, the debrief room, as well as the entry ways were being monitored, for the audience seated around the simulation area to observe the teams before undergoing the mission. Those being the professors, a handful of students who decided to show up when given the announcement of the initiation of the war games. In an observer's booth overlooking the stadium sat the family of the young Ziegler, waiting for the simulation to start, and worrying over where the matriarch was. In the same booth were a collection of faces recognizable to the family, in particular, a certain chieftain and father to a runaway currently attending Beacon. One of them at least.

* * *

**-Attacker's Entryway-**

Upon the Attackers all meeting up and prepping themselves for the match to start, the blond opened up his scroll and made his way to the center of the group. From what he could tell, the two upperclassmen had distanced themselves from the rest, probably with the intent of going out on their own to complete whatever task they had in mind. Blake seemed uninterested in all of this, seemingly only staying due to this being a request from the headmaster himself. Weiss was…well, she seemed uncaring and stoic on the outside, but the constant tapping of her feet and the slight smile that would grace her lips before she hid it was a suggestion that she might just be a bit ecstatic for this little venture. Nora was…Nora. She was adjusting her weapon, tinkering here and there and waiting for the match to start.

"Alright…" Jaune began, bringing up a small 3d model of the map from his scroll. Though, the map showed only a small portion of their side, and up until the first checkpoint. "Group up, we gotta plan this out."

"Where did you get that?" Weiss asked, her eyes furrowed at the advanced tech the scroll consisted of, and who it was that gave the blond that little device. Although, it did give her a sense of ease considering the blond was on her side.

"It's standard issue, we all have it." The minute he said those words, the rest of his team brought out their scrolls and peered over that particular function. Sure enough, after enough tinkering, Yatsu and Weiss were able to activate their 3d projections.

"Huh, what do you know?" Blake mumbled, completely unaware of this little function.

"Must be new, it was in the war games application." Yatsu chimed in, allowing the rest of the team to bring up their maps.

"As I was saying." The medic mumbled. "We only have visibility of our area, everything else we'll need to map out as we go along. Keep in mind, since this is their home turf; Defenders will have the entire map outlined for them." Jaune was able to interact with the hologram, zooming in on their current location. "Even where we'll be starting off."

"How do you know?" Fox asked, breaking a small streak of silence he had going.

"I've played Payload before; it's an old war game simulation Overwatch used to run for their trainees." The blond answered, though, keeping his eyes fixed on the map. Without warning, the flattened stadium had begun reshaping, pillars and active holograms masked the blank field; in place was an empty street lane in the dead of night. The zigzag pattern gave room for a team to bunker down, while the canopies and hollow buildings gave plenty of opportunity for sharpshooters and stealth operatives to flank the opposing side.

'_Now arriving in Queen's Row, Mantle'_

An image of the real life Queen's Row appeared on the screen above them, the Attackers gathered together, if only to listen in on whatever new bit of information was going to be given of them.

'_Scenario; Mantle is in a state of unrest due to increase in Grimm attacks and White Fang activity. As such; Atlas' military has declared Martial Law, giving the military complete control over the kingdom's laws and finances. Resistance within the land based city has grown into a fully formed militia. However, with Atlas having full control over resources, supplies are limited for the resistance. Atlesian bots and hunters have been deployed to roam the streets at night, making the following mission all the more difficult. Attackers, you are tasked with delivering supplies to the resistance camp at the other end of Queen's Row. The Defenders, Atlas' forces, will be tasked with intercepting and eliminating your relief efforts.'_

The blond hummed a thoughtful tune. "Alright, we're part of the resistance then."

"I had thought the scenario would've been more…detailed. Or at least with something a little less vague." Yatsu commented, rubbing the tip of his chin as he went over the landscape of the map on his scroll.

"Seems pretty straight forward, although, given my partner's tendency to 'justice', and considering we're also branded as 'relief effort' I doubt she'd be willing to go all out." Weiss commented.

Jaune, though, met her opinion with a hardened stare. "Hmmm, we'll see."

'_Attack commencing in; sixty second.'_

Hearing this, the blond walked over towards the glass door and took a peak outside. Sure enough, he caught a glint of metal from a balcony. He couldn't make out whom, but he could guess it. Either Ruby was up there acting as a sniper, or they had something else up their sleeve.

He turned his head to the upperclassmen, all the while formulating a plan in his head. "What are your teammate's weapons?"

Both Yatsu and Fox were quiet for a moment, glancing at one another briefly before the smaller one answered. "Velvet doesn't have one per se, her semblance allows her to mimic anyone's fighting style, and her camera can project a hardlight copy of a weapon she's taken a picture of. Coco on the other hand has a gatling gun."

Jaune nodded, peering again outside to see the metal glint again.

"So they knew where we are then?" Weiss asked, peeking out as well, glancing around for any signs of their opposing team.

"Yea, and I bet you five lien they'll be waiting for us. After all, it's a one-way street." Jaune adjusting his chest plate as he walked back to the group.

'_Attack commences in thirty seconds'_

"Ok, so what's the plan?" Blake's eyes, as well as those in the room turned to the blond, a unanimous, albeit quiet; decision to designate him as the leader. And the heiress, much to his surprise, made no objections either. Rather, she seemed focused on something out of the corner of her eye, moving just along the darkened streets.

Jaune felt the weight of their expectation being hoisted unto his back. Like the war games he'd played before, the teams that worked together tended to be the ones who came out on top as opposed to each member going out and doing their own thing. But, at the moment, he was low on intel, severely unprepared, and with an audience peering down on him, every and any mistake he made here on out would reflect more on whether or not he had the ability to even lead. Yes, these were technically games, nothing more than simulations, but they mirrored actual scenarios and missions hunters had to partake in. And if he was right in his assumptions, Ruby's team, in particular the aforementioned leader herself, would very much go all out in this. Knowing he had to take the reins in the limited time he had, the blond gestured to the members of his team. "All of you, semblances and attack range."

Though initially confused, the members quickly gave the required information. And yet, it did little to alleviate the blond's worries.

Weiss and Nora were the two that could do both short ranged and long range. The other three and himself were more proficient in short ranged combat. To an extent, the heiress could as well attempt a long range atack, but it would require time and accuracy, something he wasn't sure they'd have in the heat of combat. Not to mention, Yatsu admitted to being rather sluggish in combat, and though his attacks were indeed powerful, his opponents would use their speed to an advantage. And two of their CQC members were mostly masters of stealth and guerrilla attacks.

Meanwhile, Yang, Ren, and Velvet were the cqc of the group, with speed being their best factors. Pyrrrha was both the ranged and close quarters fighter, not to mention being the more advanced fighter of the group, she would prove to be a major hindrance alone, the team would just add on to the overwhelming obstacles. Ruby, the sniper, thanks to Weiss, was reported to not being entirely all that accurate, was still a force to be reckoned with. The bigger issue lay with Coco, the gatling gun wielder, if positioned right, she could halt their advance and possible take out a couple of them in the blink of an eye.

In summary;

Attackers; Two tanks, two stealth, one ranged, and one support.

Defenders; One long ranged, two CQC, one stealth, and two ranged.

'_Attack commencing in ten seconds.'_

Jaune turned to the heiress. "Weiss, on me."

Without missing a beat, the heiress was quick to his side. Jaune leaned over and placed a hand on her shoulder.

"On my signal..." He whispered to her, and though she gave him a shocked look, she nonetheless nodded and readied her stance and glyph, noting the blond had not removed his hand from her shoulder.

'_9…'_

And then she felt it, a flow of energy surging into her body. Raw power merging with her own, it was intoxicating. And she could feel her glyphs growing, it took every ounce of her will power to keep it restricted to the door frame.

'_8…'_

The chamber in her rapier shifted to a new element, her stance changed, and her eyes shined a sky blue hue.

'_7…'_

"Get ready." Jaune announced, the others drew their weapons and prepped themselves.

'_6…'_

'_5…'_

'_4…'_

'_3…'_

'_2…'_

The world seemingly came to a standstill, the breathing of the Attackers hitched as they waited for what felt like an eternity for the doors to open. Jaune's hand remained on Weiss, the energy no longer surging, but more for moral support. It helped, though the heiress would not admit it. yet.

'_1…'_

The doors opened.

"NOW!"

* * *

**Not gonna lie, this was hella fun to write, especially the simulation; that's right, it's almost done. All that's left is to edit a few scenes, proof read, and publish. Just gonna do some double checking to make sure I didn't skimp out or misread certain people's semblance's. Now, yes in the last chapter I revealed Jaune's father…vaguely. Am I happy with who I chose; yes, yes I am. Why? Because I feel like, given how the following volumes have depicted our blond noodle, the same path his father fell down might very well be one he could follow down given the right set of circumstances. The blond will discover who his father is later on, and of course i plan to make it a pretty big deal for the story arc.**

**Now, as for how the story is gonna play out, and if characters from the newer volumes are gonna make an appearance?...boy do I have a surprise for you in the next chapters. **

**Also, I had come up with a variety of names to replace Overwatch, mostly in the hopes of having something unique to bring to the table, but nothing came to mind in the moment. I thought Hunterwatch, but that felt too on the nose. After much thought, I just decided to stick with the original name. makes it easier I guess.**

**Hope you all enjoyed this chapter, the next will be along soon. Ciao.**


	11. War Games II

_'1…'_

_"NOW!"_

Upon the opening of the doors wall of ice emerged from glyph beneath the entryway. Effectively, the doorway to the arena was closed off, keeping the defenders from peppering them with fire, though also halting the advance of the attackers. It came as quite the shock, particularly for those who expected the attacking team to rush it.

And now, the front door was sealed off, keeping the attacking team from advancing, but giving the defending team time to rethink their next move, that or dig in and wait for the enemy to bring down their walls and advance.

For those observing, there was a small round of murmurs from the students in the stands, whispering amongst themselves over what the attacking team was planning. In the private booths, the families of the blond and the heiress of Menagerie, though the reason for these simulations was still lost on them, there was no denying that giving these students a taste of what actual huntsmen had to endure was a necessity.

"I won't say it again, yer girls ain't got nothing on my boy." Of course, with every family, there came moments where rivalries tended to pop up. Which was certainly the case for a certain cowboy and a blond teacher from patch. It appeared as though the two had come to a sort of disagreement, leaving those around them to simply ignore them, or facepalm at the immaturity of the situation.

"…" The blond man said nothing, glaring at the cowboy with fatherly intent. "That so…" He growled, his hand dove into his inner vest pocket, retrieving his wallet and upon opening it, a collection of photographs dangled. All of which showed a variety of images of two toddlers, one of blonde hair, the other of ebony with streaks of maroon. What followed was the bane of every child with overly doting parents; two overly doting parents 'discussing' who's the cuter child, you or theirs. And with the piece of the blond's collection unfolded, to add to the cringe of it all, he struck a pose.

Each photo ranged from his girls in costumes, to little instances of everyday life. One of which was the blonde girl, not too much older than the silver-eyed one, cleaning her younger siblings jam-stained cheeks.

The cowboy responded with his own pose, one of a man having been struck with a blow he was not expecting, nor was he willing to accept the reality of; the girls were indeed adorable. But he himself had a trump card.

"Good shot there partner…" McCree grumbled, rubbing his chin in thought as his prosthetic hand reached towards his back pocket. With one swift move he retrieved his wallet, and like the blond father, from his wallet came an array of photos of the blond bunny with his older sibling in various little outfits, the biggest hit of them was one of the small boy asleep in the arms of his sibling; his head nuzzled gently against her chest and her head resting atop his. Her arms draped over him in a protective manner, as if shielding him from the world. Of course, in that photograph was a much younger Olivia, sleeping beside them as well, one arm used to keep the two cuddled close to her. "But I got a whole lotta ammo too." He half-shouted, striking a pose as well. His head was tilted upwards, with his torso leaning backwards slightly, and his free hand half covering his face. Unfortunately, Hana was seated beside Fareeha, her face was a blushing red buried into her palms, groaning loudly at the immaturity of the old westerner and his need to embarrass her by sharing her baby photos.

Watching from afar, Amelie leaned over to the hacker with a faint grin. "You actually stayed with Angela?"

To which the hacker smirked. "Nah, but I never passed up an opportunity to watch bun-bun and the gremlin."

In the corner where Hana was burying her face into her palms and trying to hide herself against her mom's body, the elders of the family; Reinhardt and Ana watched the display amongst the two men with barely withheld smirks. The mountain of a man, when he first arrived, caught the eyes of the inhabitants rather instantly, a pair dressed in shades of violet, black, and white in particular. Of course, before given a chance to talk to the pair, his attention was taken by the sniper beside him.

"I remember you were like that with Tessa." Ana commented, earning a nostalgic grin from the old crusader. "You could go on for days telling our neighbors and friends about your little valkyrie. I had to tranquilize you a couple times."

The mountain man chuckled softly, nudging her lightly. "Come now, I wasn't that bad."

"No? I remember her wedding night; you went on a rant for nearly an hour over how precious she was to you. Though it was heartwarming, you would've gone on for longer if the Shimada brothers had not started a brawl."

Reinhardt's brows furrowed, remembering that little debacle. "Those two…it only got worse when Jamison saw an opportunity to test out his toys." A second later, his glare softened, making way for a peaceful smile. "And not long after Fareeha and Jesse were buried in the cake, Jack and Gabriel were being strangled under Mako's left arm while he ate the wine-drenched roast with his right." He recounted with a soft hearty chuckle.

Ana let out a chuckle as well. "And to this day I will never understand how Angela ended up on the chandelier."

"Ha, you think that's something!?" Came the roaring voice of the cowboy, reaching into one of the secret pockets of his wallet and bringing out what he would dub; his trump card. Where the blond teacher pulled out a picture of his daughters on their first day of school; where the blonde was holding the hand of a very drowsy little one with unruly bedhead. "I can do you one better." The image he showed was to be the death of the girl sitting in the corner. In the image were two toddlers, the little blond one was holding a stuffed rabbit plush close to his chest, burying the lower half of his face into his sleeping partner, and showing very clear droplets of tears in his eyes. His hand was connected to his older sibling who was sobbing openly. Beside them was a white sheet hooked to a clothes line. Though, there was a notable stain right near…

*Thump*

"HANA!"

The eyes of those in the room turned to see the young teen passed out in her seat, foam escaping from the corner of her mouth, eyes blank and empty, and her face a deep crimson shade.

* * *

Jaune shivered violently, something in him died unexplainably, but his main fear wasn't for what might've caused his soul to shatter, rather he felt an overwhelming need to run to his sister's aid for some odd reason. Following a shiver that lasted for far longer than comfortably necessary, the blond refocused his attention back on his teammates. Yatsuhashi was standing next to Fox, whom was in a meditative trance; Weiss was peering over through the windows, noting the subtle changes in the defending team's positions. Blake had gone off to explore the rest of their spawn point to find another possible exit. Nora was beside him, studying the map on her scroll.

"Payload isn't moving." She noted, playing around with her map's hologram.

"We need to capture the first checkpoint, after that the payload will be dropped in. But the payload won't move unless one of us is on or near it. And if our enemy is smart…" He gestured toward a ridge just beside a double-decker bus. "I got money on either a sniper or machine gun blocking our path."

"Or a lookout." Yatsu commented, the hulking teen was sitting quietly by the doorway with his teammate beside him. "We've been here three minutes, and our time grows shorter; we'll need to move."

"Cautiously." Fox added in.

"Agreed." Jaune responded, watching the mist descending from the ice wall as he could only wonder what would await them outside. "Blake should've been back by now."

As if on cue, the clad in black landed graciously in front of the blond, causing her teammates to jump in place. The ember-eyed girl, rather than greet her teammates, brought up her scroll and activated her map. The layout of the outside was more detailed, up until the courtyard just beside a statue, surrounded by key points one could use for sniper or machine gun placements.

"Took a bit longer than I thought, but I found an opening on the roof." She gestured to the scaffolding. "And two to our flanks." Her attention soon after reverted to her map, spanning the whole of the target area. "First checkpoint isn't too far, but there are a lot of places where they can pick us off." To her credit, Blake highlighted the ridges and points that could cause them a rather difficult problem moving forward.

Weiss broke off from her little scouting to partake in the overview of their current path. Without so much as making a sound, Yatsuhashi and Fox were huddled into the circle.

"Did you get an eye on where the others are?" The heiress asked, to which her teammate marked alongside the highlighted areas.

"Yang and Velvet are positioned here…" Her fingers gestured to the gate, highlighting specific points on opposite ends of the gate. "Coco is here…" Blake gestured to the balcony atop the bus. "And as far as I know, Pyrrha is guarding the first checkpoint with them. But I couldn't find Ren or Ruby."

Their current path led them into the path of a machine gun and two close-quarter combatants. One of which was a blonde brawler known for being rather ruthless in her fighting style. The second of which, Jaune knew nothing about, but wondered if it had anything to do with the camera she carried at her waist.

Their start wasn't looking too good, and their time was ticking. A rush to the front wouldn't do them much good if it needlessly wiped out a chunk of their aura before even unlocking the payload. Gathering his thoughts, Jaune took a quick look at the layout once more before nodding. With the little info he garnered from Yatsu, the blond had a rough idea over how to proceed. Of course, for that he'd need to ease up the load they'd be surely taking if they marched on.

He turned to their only stealth operator. "Blake." His fingers skidded along the edges of the map, hugging the ridges that kept her nearly out of sight. "I need you to pepper them from behind. We'll provide a distraction, once you're position; only engage them in guerrilla attacks. Wait for us to advance to the checkpoint. But if you see an opening to deal a blow to their roster…"

"Do not hesitate." Weiss urged, the coldness in her tone was unnerving, but the blond's nod to her order was a bit of a surprise to the rest of their team.

"This is a mission, a simulation of an actual hunter contract; play the part. Those aren't our classmates out there, they're the obstacles. Hesitate, and it's your, possibly also your teammate's, heads that'll roll." He a few blue vials from pocket on his belt. Nora visibly cringed at seeing the vials, though Weiss was curious as she had seen the liquid and its effects before.

Jaune loaded up three vials into a launcher in his right gauntlet, though, he handed one over to Blake. Although, before she could take it, the blond's hand was infused with his aura, the contents in the vial shone brightly before eventually dying down. "This is portable aura amplifier, one dose is enough to restore your aura to capacity. And it'll give you a little temporary buff too. I've imbued it with my aura, so the effects should last longer than usual. If you're running low on aura, use it." The tipped needle was one helluva selling point, though, given the effects it had on Nora, Blake was more than thankful to have something to fall back on. That, and she was somewhat curious as to the effects of the liquid. Just as she was to take the vial, the blond gave her one last word of advice. "If you get a chance, and you find Pyrrha." He leaned over, whispering something into her ear, causing her bow to shift with interest. The heiress' curiosity was peaked when she noticed the blond retrieve something from his pack and snake it into Blake's palms. Her expression hardened, nodding one last time to the blond, and disappearing back into the shadows to play her part.

Jaune turned his attention to the rest of his team. His eyes settled on Fox firstly. "Alistair, you have more experience with Velvet so you'll be taking her head on." Jaune then turned his attention to the heiress and the mountain of a teen. "Weiss and Yatsu will secure the checkpoint. Nora will hang back and provide cover fire if she sees Coco or Ruby perched somewhere. We don't have the advantage of a long range operator, so we'll have to force them into CQC. Any time you see their sniper or gunner, find cover and radio in the enemy position. When it comes down to brawls, here's how it'll go." Then the blond pulled up the remaining images of the defending team's member. He pressed two fingers against an ear piece, curtesy of the gear provided to them by the school for their simulation. "Blake, can you read me?"

'Loud and clear.'

"While you're out there I want you to focus on Ren, don't let him out of your sight, and keep Ruby from getting clear shots at us."

'Understood.'

Jaune highlighted the fashionista's image next. "Yatsu, I'm leaving Coco to you and Nora. She'll provide you with suppressing fire, hopefully she'll flush her out of whatever spot she's perched on. Weiss…" The heiress perked up, her fingers tightened their hold on her rapier as she awaited her orders. "I need you to stay on the payload. This is an escort mission, as long as one of us makes the delivery, it won't matter how many bots they'll be able to call in when we wipe out one of their members." Truthfully, the heiress was a bit downtrodden at the fact that she would have to be on escort duty solely. "And that just leaves Yang and Pyrrha to me."

And with those words uttered, the room fell deathly silent. Even Blake, who was normally quiet, stopped dead in her tracks when she heard his words through the comms. Though not surprised by their reactions, the blond shrugged at their glances and widened eyes.

"What?" He asked, barely masking a smirk from emerging on his lips.

"You…take on Pyrrha and Yang?" Weiss asked, her tone begging for clarification.

"Do I need to repeat myself?" He question wasn't filled with malice or snark, rather; he was slightly amused with their reactions. Which rightfully irritated the heiress a bit.

"And you think you can take them on?" Nora asked, slightly wavering on whether to follow through with her part of the mission, or to stick by her idiotic partner's unusual fascination with near-death experiences.

"I'm confident I can." Jaune appeared confident, almost to the point a few of his teammates believed him.

"And win?" Yatsu clarified, to which Jaune's smirk broke free, plastered on full display as he gave his response.

"Both at once?…hell no. With them at full strength; I've got no chance in hell." The room was once again silent, save for Yatsu who appeared lost in his own thoughts, rubbing the tip of his chin in contemplation.

A visible vain pulsated on the heiress' forehead, her fingers tightened into a fist and her weapon seemingly shaking. "Then why take on both of them? If you know you're not going to beat them, let me help. I can handle myself in a fight." Was that it, was he assuming the position of taking on the two hard-hitters of the opposing team, assuming she wouldn't hold a candle to them? Did this brute truly think so little of her? Was she nothing more than some fragile porcelain doll, meant to be seen but never touched? As her assumptions boiled over to greater heights, the blond shook his head.

"It wouldn't make much of a difference. Against Yang, I'm sure either of us can snake a win against her, but the margin is pretty high up there. She's all about speed and quick-jabs. Take that away from her, and there's a chance. But Pyrrha…" The blond took a moment to consider the days where he had seen his teammate in combat, along with watching the many videos of her brawls in several competitions. "Given what I've seen, none of us can take her on as she is now. She's tough, but she isn't invincible. Beating her is a possibility, but not important."

There was an immediate turn from the heiress' expression, from building anger to genuine shock.

'_Five minutes remaining'_

"The main objective is delivering the payload. Everything else is secondary." Yatsu commented, earning a nod from the blond.

Jaune turned his eyes back to Weiss, placing a firm hand on her shoulder. "I'll do my best to keep those two occupied, but we need to keep that payload moving. Yatsu and Nora will be behind you keeping Coco off your back. Blake will keep Ruby and Ren distracted…" His voice drifted off, as did his eyes.

He knew there was a possibility his plan might falter, and one of the two would break off and head after the payload, if that happened, they'd stall their progress and call in reinforcements. Without uttering a word, Jaune reached for his pack and unholstered a sidearm. Though, judging by its appearance, it was appeared more like some glue-gun you'd find in an elementary classroom. The only ammunition she could see in the chamber was a vial with yellow liquid.

Rather than wait for her to take it, the blond reached out and grasped her hands win his own, placing the sidearm in her hand. "If by any chance there's someone blocking your way, hit them with is; it'll tranquilize them, giving you a small window. Ten seconds, max."

She wanted to question what exactly this thing was, but rather than get an explanation, the blond unsheathed his mace and walked over to the ice wall. Realizing this was going to be their entry way, the rest of the team prepped themselves for either a blitz charge, or a hail of bullets keeping them from passing through.

"Blake, you got eyes on Coco?" The blond asked, receiving a green tint from her scroll's icon. "She perched up high still?" Green. "She blocking our only exit?" Green, again. "Alright, on my mark; pepper her enough to get the heat off us." He turned to Weiss. "On my signal break the wall." She nodded, Nora taking her place at his side as the blond readied his small shield.

Jaune took a quick moment to catch his breath, steel his nerves, before giving the signal.

"Now."

* * *

Coco was perched atop a balcony beside a double-decker bus, her minigun aimed directly at the presumably only exit the Attackers had. And with five minutes left on the clock, she began wondering if the enemy team was going to engage at all. To her chagrin, the prodigy was placed as leader of their team, and already she could see a plethora of mistakes. For one, she had Coco stationed to presumably 'spawn kill' the opposing team, unaware of any other possible entryways for the Attackers to come at them with. Their two brawlers were placed on the checkpoint, though the blonde one seemed more eager to get into the fight while her teammate was dutifully staying on the checkpoint. The best move the kid made was perching herself atop the checkpoint in a window overlooking the area. Perhaps the one grief she had was the green clad one being stationed with her. Their only possible candidate to run reconnaissance was stationed with the reaper. For what reason, she didn't know, but the saving grace she was immensely grateful for was the champion being stationed at the checkpoint, her spear in rifle mode and the gateway into the courtyard in her sights. So long as blondie didn't bounce in to get hit with friendly fire, the odds were stacked in their favor.

Or, that's what she was hoping for.

When she heard the ice crack, she steeled her nerves and kept her fingers on the trigger. Normally, she would've radioed in and gave her team the heads up. However, as she was about to signal them, she felt a spray of rubber bullets hit her from the side. Instinctively, she blocked her face and jumped out of the way. Sparing an eye in the direction of her attacker, she watched the black-bowed one from the pipsqueak's team throw her weapon at her, entangling her by the impressively strong ribbon's seams, and hauled back unto the balcony. Her weapon, damned if it wasn't heavy enough, slipped from her grasp as she felt her body slam against the edge. As her lower body dangled, she could hear sniper fire, and a frantic voice calling to her from her earpiece.

Without waiting for the enemy team below her to pick her off so easily, Coco hoisted herself back onto the balcony and peaked over. She watched as the blond moved forward with his team. Though they knew she was up there, they appeared more focused with the checkpoint. Of course, it took quite a turn when Yatsu stopped, sheathed his weapon, and picked up Coco's minigun. The teen was strong, no question there, but to see him hoist her own weapon with a single hand left her a bit queasy at what a simple hug from the boy could do.

However, the bigger issue on her mind, was the fact that her own weapon had been lost, the enemy had it, and unlike Velvet or Fox; she had little expertise in hand to hand combat. Which meant the best she could do was act as their eyes and ears. For now, until she could get back her weapon. But then, with the click of a pistol chamber, she turned to see Blake with her weapon aimed at her.

* * *

Yang and Pyrrha were ready, they heard the sound of gunfire, but when they heard Ruby frantically calling for Coco, they had to wonder if the fashionista had been taken out already. Her aura dropped a bit, and it was continuously dropping with each muffled pistol fire they heard from their position. There was a faint moment of doubt before they heard the whirring of their teammate's minigun, only for their momentary relief to vanish when a hail of gunfire poured from the gate with such velocity. The statute in front of the courtyard was being torn to pieces, and Pyrrha had to retreat back into the building from which she was posted in. She peaked only when the bullets ceased.

Yang was just as cautious, though, upon taking a small glance, an armored knight dashed in front of her, his hard-light shield already raised up. However, upon lowering it, she realized too late that he'd reared back his mace, and launched the rocket flail at her, striking the brawler across the face and sending her flying back a few feet. Of course, given it was Yang, the attack was minimal, and she only skidded backwards a few feet before coming to a stand-still.

When she wiped what few strands of hair covered her face, the brawler met her opponent with crimson eyes. With most of her opponents; this was a red flag. In fact, there was a common census amongst the first years of Beacon; never anger Xiao Long. It wasn't so much that she'd beat students up on the spot…in was in combat training where she'd let the guilty party have it. And there were enough punishments dished out that few, if any, have poked at the blonde as of recent. Save for the current blond.

Though, unlike those before her, the blond smirked at his opponent, even with the temperature around them rising. It only widened when he noticed several sparks casting off her hair.

"Heh, careful Yang, let's not _blow_ this out of proportion."

Time stopped, the brawler's flames died in an instant, all eyes were on them. Or rather, the blond who uttered that little phrase.

Jaune meanwhile glanced around, noticing everyone's eyes fixed on him. "What?" he shrugged at their frozen glances. As he turned his gaze back to his opponent, the blond panicked and ducked just in the nick of time as a fist flew just where his head was. He skid back, just a few feet to see Yang glaring at him, only this time her eyes were their usual lilac color, and she garnered a playful smirk.

"You need to work on your puns, Bunny, that was way too obvious." The brawler taunted, using her gauntlets to propel towards the blond, her fists sadly only striking his shield. Though, the force she applied to her attack left the knight digging into the ground of his current position. His feet visibly being forced through the concrete as Yang delivered a few more punches to seal the deal.

Jaune, meanwhile, was grinning widely at her little display. Through his hard-light shield, the brawler was able to see his expression, which rightfully perplexed the golden beauty. "You really need to chill Yang." Just as he said that, the brawler felt an unnerving cold breeze. It was only then that she remembered who was on the blond's team. Instinctively, she tried retreating, only to find herself locked in place. Or rather, her feet frozen over by ice, and she could give a good guess as to whose ice was planted at her feet.

Jaune gave a small wave to the heiress, who was sitting atop an unlocked payload, grinning and waving at the brawler, her rapier's tip dug into the concrete with a trail of ice branching. Meanwhile, Yang noticed Velvet, although faring rather well against Fox on her own, was having a spot of trouble when Nora threw in a couple bombs to keep the rabbit girl on her toes. Meanwhile, the behemoth Coco called her partner was busy peppering Ruby's positon with machine gun fire, curtesy of CFVY's team leader's weapon. And from what she could hear on the comms, Ren was dealing with a few too many Blake clones.

As for Pyrrha…

With Yang occupied, and Weiss' ice being rather sturdy all things considered, the blond decided to move on to his next opponent. Of course, the blond didn't leave without giving the brawler a small wave. "Do me a favor Yang, don't move. I'll be right back." She cursed silently at the fact that her fellow blond was spitting some jokes her way and she was a bit preoccupied with trying to keep a leveled head.

It was then the brawler realized a little something; she bit into a snare. Taken from the fight, and left on the sidelines. If only for a moment, she felt herself gain a small inch of pride at being more of a priority to keep out of the fight instead of the champion herself. Points for creativity, she'll admit, but given the brawler was well known for flames; bursting out should've been easy. Of course, given the heiress' access to dusts of any and all kind, it was evident her fire wouldn't be enough to melt away the ice. Of course, that didn't stop the brawler from trying. Be it another type of fire or her fists.

And while Yang was occupied, however limited the time he had, the blond knight ran into the building Blake had informed him of where the Spartan was posted. Though, rather than head to the second floor, where he assumed she'd be Jaune remained near the doorway. No doubt, Pyrrha would be quick to change positions, hell, if Ruby was still on her team's chat, she would've ordered Pyrrha to either A; assist Velvet and hold down the center, or B…

And there she was, blasting away at the ice holding Yang down. And a new contender entered the fray too, even without a weapon, Coco seemed adamant on remaining in the mission. Good.

Realizing it wouldn't take long until the heavy hitters came back into the fight, Jaune reached to his comms.

"Fox, we've got an unwanted guest, can you keep Coco out of the fight?"

'A little busy at the moment.' Came a grunted response, followed by the upperclassman be on the receiving end of a punch that launched him out of the center.

The blond groaned as he watched the girl approach Yang.

"Dammit. Nora!"

* * *

"The hell is this ice made of!?" Coco asked as she was amping Pyrrha's shots in the hopes of at least cracking the ice, to little avail. The ice showed visible cracks, but with the possibility of injuring the brawler and lowering her aura meter with friendly fire, Pyrrha was aiming for caution as she shot the edges of the ice. Although, given the fact that the ice was encased in some white glow, the champion could only assume the heiress imbued her aura into her attack in order to give it an extra potency.

Yang was watching the skirmish in the center, her eyes fixed on the upperclassman preventing Ruby from giving them any support. With Ren silent on the comms and Velvet having to deal with Fox and Weiss, Pyrrha had to go out there and…

"Wait…" She mumbled, her eyes searching for a certain redhead. When she found none, the brawler felt a chill crawl up her spine. "Where's Nora?"

There wasn't even a moment to ask as a hammer crashed down in between them, sending Coco back a few feet and the champion a little ways away.

"You called?" She smiled deviously at her opponents, hoisting her hammer over her shoulders and standing rather proudly against the Mistral champion.

Pyrrha readied her stance, shield raised and rifle/javelin ready for whatever the girl had in store for her.

"Hej Hej!" Pyrrha's eyes widened, her head snapped to the side, only to feel cold steel wrap around her left leg, pulling on the champion and bringing her to her knees. The steel left her leg, choosing instead to wrap around her shield arm and hoisted away from her. She felt a strong grip at her weapon, instinctively trying to elbow whoever was attempting to restrain her from behind. However, Nikos was only able to wrestle her arm free, and her elbow jabbing at air.

'_First checkpoint, captured'_

Pyrrha's attention, if only for a moment, turned to the center where Velvet lay on the ground, small patches of burns and ice dotted her body as it was apparent the girl had taken a few combined hits from a slightly winded heiress and a clearly exhausted Alistair.

'_Agent Velvet Scarlatina; eliminated.'_

There was a moment the Attacking team felt a little pride in themselves in denting the Defending team's roster. Though, it lasted for a few seconds before the voice added in.

'_Replacement on standby; Bastion unit.'_

"Shit." Jaune mumbled. "Heads up Payload, heavy gunner coming in!'

Using this moment, Pyrrha gripped the loose chain her shield arm was tied in and attempted to hoist the knight over her shoulder and slam him against the ground. That was the plan…had she not taken into account how incredibly heavy the blond's armor was. Full-plated was right, even with her semblance…oh right, there was that too.

With a simple wave of her hand, the blond was engulfed in black aura and thrown across the field. His arm still gripping onto his mace with an iron grip. Too little too late the champion took that bit into account; she was hoisted along the ride with the blond's flying body. Although, he managed to skid to a stop, blackening the pavement and casting a few sparks from his heels. Pyrrha's stop was not so ceremonious; her body was yanked and dragged across the pavement. Her armor was scratched and partially dented from her plated vambrace. She had not expected their mission to take such a turn; to which Coco was disarmed, Velvet was knocked out of the fight, and she was fumbling her objective…

"Oi." She felt a finger poking her cheek. Her eyes snapped open, though, when she attempted to pounce to her feet, she felt a great deal of weight keeping her grounded. She managed to shift her head up, her eyes landed on her team leader his flail chain still tied around her shield arm and her rifle in his left hand. She took note as well, his foot pressing down on her back and his whole body engulfed in a white aura that also left his ocean blue orbs vibrant. He poked her again with the nuzzle of her rifle. "Glad to see you're still awake, wouldn't want Mistral's pride n joy to get knocked out before the real fun starts." He taunted, his eyes drifting to where a now freed Yang was going toe-to-toe against Nora, and was surprisingly faring less than what one would expect. With each missed swing from the brawler, the bubbly bomber made some jab that caused Xiao Long to only blow up further in anger. And her attacks in each succession would go on to miss much more often. "Nora may not look it, or show it, but she's plenty smart. I wanted her to guard the payload, but I didn't expect Velvet to get taken out so quickly. Or for Coco to become relatively useless at this point."

"Oi! I heard that!" The fashionista, much more visibly dirty and bruised from Nora's initial attack, hollered out from the battered statue. Though, she made a quick dive for ruble as a few rifle rounds hit random points around her.

Jaune had used Nikos' weapon at the girl, though, accuracy was not exactly easy when using only a single arm to fire a rifle. If anything, the blond was surprised the thing hadn't flung out of his palm by the first shot.

"Well, far be it from me to enjoy kicking someone when they're down." Pyrrha felt her eyes roll instinctively at that, and yet she found some amusement in the way he handled himself. Now, if only he could lower his guard for just a bit. "But it would be a waste not to use this." The blond held up a vial of bright-yellow liquid. Pyrrha winced as she felt the blond 's foot apply a bit more pressure on her. It was only when he spoke that the Spartan realized why she felt more pressure. "~Pyrrha…~"

Oh god did her spine shudder, his voice was much closer, and the way he said her name made her shudder with just a tangent of fear.

Upon daring to glance upwards towards the blond, she found him smiling at her with…his eyes closed, and a looming shadow cover the upper half of his face.

Those in the audience felt themselves shivering in place, those in the booths were unnerved by the uncanny similarity between the boy and his mother in regards to being needlessly frightening, more so with the way he carried his tone.

"I'd like to have a one on one, but I'd hate to face you while you're aura's been chipped."

What was he talking about, she was…

Pyrrha's eyes glanced at one of the screens above the match; her aura meter was just under eighty-five. Jaune's was still at a hundred.

"So let's do this." He held up the vial higher. "I carry two vials in similarly colored contents, however, one is intended to restore aura and give you a slight buff in regards to taking damage. The other vial…" he trailed off, glancing over to Coco and Fox. "Lowers your aura and makes you susceptible to any attack. A few well-placed hits will drop your aura down to the red. And just like that, Pyrrha Nikos is down for the count." The former champion felt her heart beat at such a pace; her chest almost ached beating against the cold pavement. Was such a thing even allowed? The boy was intending to play the role as a combat medic, or healer as Ruby would put it, and yet he also carried a small arsenal capable of inflicting serious injuries. But the most unnerving thing was the way he described the second vial, almost as if he was giddy in explaining what it could do. "Problem is, I can't tell them apart." She shuddered, realizing where he was heading with this. "So here's how it's gonna play; I give you this vial, or, I give it to Coco."

The world around them almost fell silent. The Spartan narrowed her eyes at her team leader as he held the vial up for all to see.

"What good would that do?"

Jaune smirked again. "One of two things will happen, either you get a boost and come at me with a challenge I'll enjoy…or, you get the vial that'll make you a one-hit kill. But Coco…" Jaune's smirk disappeared in an instant, replaced by a cold stoic stare. "If it's the second vial, her aura will drop to the red." And that was an instant elimination.

He was making the Spartan gamble between her or her nearly downed teammate. A plethora of scenarios played in her mind, to the point where the redhead began questioning herself over what to choose. If she took the hit, and the vial weakened her, then it wouldn't take long to knock her out, and Yang would be alone to face off against her two teammates. With Ren not responding to their calls, Coco being just a bystander at this point, and Ruby unable to jump in without being pelted by gun fire; was their mission a failure already? Would it matter if she chose Coco? If she did, and it was the healing boost, what good would it have done for the fashionista without her weapon?

Without a second thought, Pyrrha slapped those thoughts away; she wasn't going to gamble away her teammates. If this was some ploy of his, she wouldn't fall for it. Rather, she met his eyes once more with her own glare, and a smirk to go along with her reformed determination. "I don't need a boost to knock you off your high horse."

Jaune was visibly stunned, if only for a few seconds before his grin returned. "Good answer." And with that, she felt both his foot and his chain off of her. Without hesitation she pounced to her feet and skid a few feet away from him. Rather than try and stop her, Jaune turned to Fox. He removed the lid and with a good back hand, tossed the vial towards the payload. Fox was resting atop it when the vial smashed against the side he was on, the yellow liquid splashing against his body.

The scene itself was shocking, given what the blond described the contents of the vial contained. However, the upperclassmen's reaction to the vial's contents as the liquid seemingly infused with his aura; he seemed rejuvenated. And taking a quick peek at the board, his aura had left the yellow and was just past the green mark. The vial contained the boost apparently.

"By the way, I lied, that was my only vial." Jaune commented, taking Pyrrha's weapon off his back and tossing it the champion's way. Pyrrha was hesitant, wary even considering the blond was playing at some game with her.

The blond undid a crick in his neck and positioned himself for a fight. The Spartan did the same, her shield raised and her javelin at the ready.

"You know…" Jaune's voice grew soft, as did the apparent devious joy in his eyes. "I looked into you; the championships, the awards, all the prestige you've amounted." Pyrrha felt her mood dampen, though she remained steadfast, unwilling to give him any sort of opening. "Truth be told; I don't give a shit." The Spartan felt her head nudge upwards, her eyes widening with his admission. "I want you to show me whether or not you've got what it takes to be a huntress." His eyes hardened, and he took his stance once again. Pyrrha did so as well, though, with a faint smirk etched on her lips.

The two stood silent for just a moment before the champion lunged forward, striking the blond's raised shield, applying enough pressure to force the blond to stagger back. She raised her shield just in time to parry his flail.

Jaune saw a small opening and propelled himself forward, bashing her with his shield and stunning the huntress for a mere second before she trusted her javelin at him, striking his shield again.

Her next charge had her diving to the left, parrying a swing from his flail and allowing her to swipe at his legs. Only for her foot to strike against what she could only describe to be a brick wall. Pyrrha only had enough time to groan at the pain as she quickly vaulted herself a few feet away, limping as she landed away from the blond. Her aura was quick to heal, but the blond wasn't intent on letting her rest up so soon. He charged at her again, using her semblance she was able to divert his attack slightly, parrying his flail again, however, his kick was not what she expected; hitting her strait in the stomach with enough force to send her back another few feet.

The champion heaved, gasping for air she groaned at the pain her team leader just dealt.

She heard his armor's clanking with each step he made towards her. She felt the vibration in the pavement every time he walked, and it amazed her he was able to hulk that set of armor and still move around with such agility. Not as much as Yang, but enough to keep him on his toes. Pyrrha glanced upwards, watching the blond pace over to her with his flail hung over his shoulder.

"Gotta say, I'm a little disappointed." She grit her teeth, bringing her rifle up and shooting at the approaching knight. Her bullets hit their mark; striking him at his exposed armor and one even grazing his head. With a desperate leap Pyrrha lunged forward and bashed him hard with her shield, managing a spin in the air and landing a solid kick to the side of his head with enough force to send the blond flying.

And yet, he remained still. Unfazed and stoic, the blond grabbed her leg, spun her enough to grasp her chest plate, hoisted the Spartan up, and slammed her hard against the pavement, shattering the ground beneath her.

It felt as if the world had gone silent, Pyrrh felt every bone in her body ache, and with the world growing hazy with each passing second, the champion could only reflect on why it was she was getting her ass handed to her so easily. This wasn't right, she was faster, stronger; the best. She shouldn't be getting beaten down like this.

Her eyes glanced over to the screen, hoping her attacks did something to his…!

She couldn't believe it, her eyes must've been playing tricks on her. The screen had his aura at ninty-four, but it was rising. His aura was being replenished all the way back to a hundred. The Spartan was at a loss for words.

'_Agent Lie Ren; Eliminated.' _

Dread filled into her heart for the first time in so long. She heard a muffled explosion in the distance and she heard through her earpiece.

'_Agent Coco Adel; Eliminated.'_

Her team…if this was a real mission, they were…Pyrrha watched her team leader lean over and retrieve her rifle once more. Though, as he did, he hoisted her up a bit and felt up her back before settling on her left shoulder. He yanked what felt like a band-aid, one she had no idea how it came to be stuck to her, and dangled the disgusting thing over her. Her eyes widened when she noticed the sickly purple color of it and a symbol of sorts one would assume to be an eye of sorts. He drugged her. How? When? So many questions flooded her head, all of which were drowned out by something that plagued her view of him.

"Hate to break it to ya, hon." She mildly blushed at that nickname, snapping out of the trance when she watched him aim his rifle at her. "This fight was rigged right from the start."

"You fought dirty." She hissed at him, abhorred by the fact that the son of Mercy was using concoctions to earn himself a cheap victory instead of fighting her head on at full strength. There was no honor in this victory, and she would never let him live it down.

To her surprise, the blond smirked at her remark. Chuckling as he leaned the rifle across his shoulder. "Yea, I did. And you know what?"

'_Victory, Payload successfully delivered.' _

The screen above showed Weiss with a battered Yatsuhashi and a nearly depleted Fox standing over a delivered payload and a loudly snoring Ruby Rose with a needled sticking out of her shoulder.

"That's what it means to be a hunter." Pyrrha felt her blood boil; she glared up at her team leader as he uttered that heresy. To suggest being a huntress was be no different than the brutes and thugs they would fight. For him to place them on equal levels with deplorable, dishonorable, disgraceful brigands…she had half a mind to put him in his place. Though, Jaune, rather than leave it at that; offered her a hand.

To which she accepted, hesitantly mind you. Without warning, the blond hoisted her up held her with a sole arm. Her free arm quickly snaked around his neck as he kept a firm grip on his teammate. He carried her all the way back to the locker rooms, despite the pain in her leg dulling rather quickly.

The match was over, the Attackers won, and the defending team lost half of its members. And to top it all off, the blond medic was revealed to have a semblance similar to Coco. However, his ability allows him to amplify his aura. One of his proficient perks was amplifying the regeneration speed of his aura; seemingly making him an unending supply of heals for his team, and a nearly impossible walking tank to take down. That wasn't to say the blond was without weak points or limits, but as to what they are of if he was close to reaching them in the mission was left to be seen.

* * *

"PAY UP!" Came the excite squeal of the resident hacker as she collected a fair sum of lien from the Menagerie's chieftain and the blonde patch teacher. That'll show them the next time they opted to side with the 'champion'.

The two men, disgruntled with the way the match concluded, gave the girl the money she won from their bet.

Hana had managed to awaken from her little coma, only to be on the edge of her seat when she awoke to her brother announcing he'd take on the blonde brawler and the Mistral Champion. Given how things turned out, she wasn't so sure he would've been able to take on the two, though, he wouldn't have to seeing as his partner came in to lend the blond a hand. That was something she would admit to appreciating, especially when her little sibling had a tendency to throw himself into dangerous situations that were completely avoidable, yet he chose to embrace the odds head-on. It both annoyed her, and kept her on the edge. Still, when his team did eventually win, she allowed herself to let out a sigh she was unaware she'd been holding in.

Fareeha felt in her a sense of pride, watching her boy go off on the battlefield was a fear she shared with Angela. But, unlike the good ole doctor, she knew her boy wouldn't stray from combat for long. She wouldn't allow him to, not after what occurred with his arm. She loved Angela, nothing would make her question that, but she also loved her little one, and seeing what he's become through the years of training and trials Reinhardt and Jesse put him through; she couldn't be more proud. Of course, it wouldn't be complete without those few moments where her little bun-bun's attitude mirrored Angela's.

* * *

For Pyrrha, the ending of the match didn't sit right with her. Nothing about the match did. She hissed as she applied disinfectant to one of her many wounds. Even with her aura, the 'fight' had taken much out of her, so she chose to allow her aura to regenerate and her body to heal naturally. Although, she could do without the scar beneath her right eye, it would heal, but how she received it still irked her.

"Hey…" She felt her eye twitch, casting a side glance at the source of her annoyance. Jaune had stored away his armor, but damned if he didn't look the part of a seasoned hunter with those scars and prosthetic limb on full display. The fact that he cared little for how much skin he exposed was a small oversight the champion could overlook. He appeared to be just out of the showers, a towel slung over his shoulder and his hair slicked back. "You good?"

She felt her mother's sass come up, begging to give him a snide remark. But like most of her emotions; it gave way to her 'champion' attitude. "I'm fine." She breathed out, fixing the bow on her dress shirt.

"Ah…" Jaune took a seat on the bench next to her. His attention focused on her. "Ya know, I grew up surrounded by women, 'I'm fine' is not something I can just play bliss to anymore." Pyrrha remained silent, her eyes were fixed on the small mirror in her locker, she didn't respond or scoff at his tone. Rather, she just remained silent.

Truth be told, she had little to say to the blond that could count as civil, but given the two were teammates, him her leader; the Spartan realized she needed to either confront this issue, or shove it aside and continue on.

True to his word, the blond recognized her silence and sighed lightly. "Alright, I can take a hint." As he stood up, she felt his hand grasp her shoulder. Instinct wanted her to shove his arm away, but it was kicked aside when she felt a warm feeling flood through her body. From the mirror she watched her body be encompassed in a white aura, her fatigue fading to nothing and the scar under her eye seemingly vanishes without a trace.

She felt her body rejuvenated, healed. This must've been what folks felt when being healed by Mercy.

When the blond removed his hand and turned to walk away, Pyrrha felt a newfound hope in herself surge. Nora might've been able to reel in the blond, but as his teammate, the champion wasn't going to just let him do as he pleased and tarnish the profession they were both striving for, especially when the blond was supposed to play the part of medic/leader.

"Why?" the blond stopped in place, just a few feet from the doorway. He didn't turn to face her, nor her to him. "Why fight so dishonorably?"

She swear she could hear the blond smirk again, something she wanted to wipe off his face with enough force to etch a message into his thick head.

"I did what I needed to keep my team alive, I played dirty, yea, but in the end my whole team gets to go home. If this was an actual mission, what would you have said to the families of your fallen teammate?" Pyrrha's fingers clenched tightly, to the point that she felt her nails digging into her skin. "You're a skilled fighter, and an honorable woman…but I grew up around former hunters and soldiers. They're all alive today because they all shared one thing in common; they knew some lines were meant to be crossed, honor means very little to a lot of people in this world. I had to learn that lesson early on, but we all have to eventually. So long as it keeps you and our team alive, I'm willing to do whatever it takes." Pyrrha was silent, she was going to counter his world view, to voice reason and break the blond from his delusion that they needed to be like their enemy in order to beat them. That was a slippery slope, and it could potentially lead her team leader down a path she wasn't sure she could pull him back from should he tread too far.

"Is that what I should expect from the son of Mercy?" She found her voice, replying with little venom, but with enough authority to get her point across.

Jaune stopped just as the door slid open, Pyrrha could see his reflection through the mirror.

He cast her a sideways glance. "Who do you think raised me?" And with that he left, Pyrrha remained with a plethora of questions and a world-shattering reality of her idol. The woman, the 'angel' of Overwatch raised her son to be this…dishonorable?

No. She couldn't accept that, she wouldn't. There had to be a reason. And she was going to uncover it; come hell or high water.

* * *

**-Debriefing Room-**

Now all fully healed, curtesy of their neighborhood medic, the teens waited quietly for whatever would come next. Weiss seemed rather proud with the results of the mission, with Ruby silently moping next to the heiress who wouldn't tell her about the small sidearm she used to knock out the young reaper. Ren was being tended to be Nora, the bubbly red-head grinning widely at him as she kept asking Blake how it was she was able to take the boy down.

Coco smirked triumphantly with her minigun back in her possession. That, and the small red mark she left on the blond team leader of the first year team. It was one thing to steal her weapon and leave her without a means to fight, but to call her useless was a snide she wouldn't ignore without retribution. Of course, there was the discussion of a one-one-one brawl between her and him to settle a little score. Well, her and Xiao Long, the brawler's was more of a demand than a subtle suggestion disguised as a challenge.

Fox and Yatsuhashi were silent, as was the blond as he finished healing Scarlatina. The girl was reluctant at first to be healed by him, giving in only when she watched her entire team be healed to near perfect states. Of course, there was something about the blond that intrigued her, perhaps it was the bunny emblem on his shield, or maybe the nickname the brawler of RWBY referred top him by.

Once Pyrrha entered the room, the screen came to life. The Spartan took her place beside her team, all the while sparing a quick glance towards her team leader who appeared to be getting rather chummy with the rabbit-girl from the second-year team. Something that, while shouldn't be irritating her; did so regardless.

'_Students, congratulations on your first combat assignment. As the first participants on the competitive roster, your abilities and feats will be measured when ranking you amongst your fellow hunters and huntresses from academies across Remnant.' _

A list came to life with their names beside numbers. The reactions to the rankings were varied, with the heiress seemingly giddy at her current position primarily because it placed her just above her team's 'heavy-hitter', and the former champion somewhat perplexed at where she was placed. A few were visibly bummed at how low they were placed on the ranking list.

'_In accordance with previous protocols, you will be given callsigns to carry onward long after you've obtained your hunter licenses. Pay head, these callsigns are generated in accordance to your personal files and/or prowess on the battlefield.' _

"Oh, this should be interesting." Jaune mumbled a bit less as excited as his classmates.

Ruby seemed almost about to pounce off her seat with anticipation. And it was intoxicating too as the others seemed somewhat eager, if not curious, over what callsign they'd receive.

'_Coco Adel…'_ The fashionista perked up. _'Callsign; Trinidad'_

She didn't appear displeased, but she wasn't exactly thrilled with it. Still, to have her callsign be her hometown was a good one to keep in mind. It was easy to remember for both her and her team, not to mention she'd be bringing back some good publicity to her home with her callsign.

'_Vevlet Scarlatina: Callsign; Mimicry. Yatsuhashi Daichi: Callsign; Goliath.'_

The two mentioned members chuckled a bit at their assigned names. Oddly enough, they fit well, Velvet's described her combat style, and Yatsuhashi's described him overall.

'_Fox Alistair: Callsign; Vision.'_

The room fell silent, it took a second before Coco responded first. "Oi, the hell!? You think that's funny!?"

'_A little.'_ The voice responded, ignoring her flabbergasted expression as it continued. _'Ruby Rose…' _Ruby perked up, her eyes glued to the screen. _'Callsign; Rose.'_

And with that, she deflated a bit. It wasn't on the nose like calling her petals or bud, but Rose felt a bit lazy. Still, if it was to follow her, at least she could change it in the future.

'_Blake Belladonna: Callsign; Panthera.' _

Blake felt her body stiffen, mostly in regards to how close to home that nickname struck. Luckily for her; the rest of her teammates thought nothing of it. Unluckily for her, the blond medic smirked coyly at her, while her glare did nothing to ease the teasing.

'Yang Xiao Long: Callsign; Solaria.'

Yang wasn't too thrilled with it, but the smirk on her lips gave way to the idea that she wasn't opposed to it either. It was a unique one, but if given the chance she would've chosen something more intimidating.

'_Weiss Schnee: Callsign; Tundra.'_

The heirss frowned a bit, her glare was fixated on the screen, but mostly aimed at the voice. Yang snickered behind the heiress, clearly having a field day with the girl's assigned name.

'_Lie Ren: Callsign; Lotus.'_

The quite boy nodded, content with the choice made.

'_Pyrrha Nikos: Callsign; Hippolyta'_

The significance was known only to a fair few, but the former champion should a sense of pride in the callsign she'd been given.

'_Nora Valkyrie: Callsign; Queens.' _

"YES!" To her enjoyment, the bubbly redhead's callsign was something she'd play off on a regular basis. So, this worked out quite well for her and her team. "I'm queen of the castle~" She'd sing, skipping in place and garnering small chuckles from her friends. All that was left was her teammate, though Jaune seemed less eager than the rest to hear what his callsign would be. Still, he perked up and waited.

'_Jaune Ziegler: Callsign;….Kings'_

Without a moment's warning Jaune felt the weight of his partner slam atop him after he'd received his callsign. The girl was overly ecstatic that her partner's new title corresponded with hers. Of course, given the teen had pounced on him without warning, the blond stumbled back and forth a bit before eventually tumbling forward.

The act alone garnered a small laughing fit from their friends. Nora joined in, finding amusement in the little incident as well.

As for Jaune, he just smirked, enjoying these small moments of cheer his friends could afford. these might've been simulations, but in the near future, he knew well they'd need to shape up and act the part. They couldn't treat this like a game for long, and if the Fang was serious this time around; then he'd need to prep himself for whatever would come next.

However, before he could indulge in the joy the others around him shared; the doors to the briefing room slid open. The sound of heels echoing in the chamber was enough to garner silence from the teens as their heads turned to greet their newcomer, only their reactions to vary between a mix of astonishment and awe.

Nora was quick to rise up once she caught sight of who had entered, her body felt rigid as she stood at attention just a few feet away from her partner.

Meanwhile, having noticed the silence and made the unfortunate decision to look up, the blond was greeted with the stoic face of his mother staring down at him. She was quiet and reserved, but behind her eyes he could see a fury the likes of which no Grimm could ever hope to match. He knew he'd have to face her soon enough, but he had hoped it would've been behind closed doors, away from prying eyes and ears. Although, given the reception he received from his mom, he could only fathom what his mother had in store for him.

As he rose up to her level, the two Zieglers stared at one another silently, neither saying a word or so much as making a single move. It felt as though an eternity had passed before the good doctor's hand rose up slowly, her palms reached outward. A few inches away from his face, it appeared as though her features had softened.

But Jaune knew better.

* * *

**So, just to start off, I hope you all have been staying safe during this global pandemic. Now, where have I been? Well, after peak season was over I expected to have a bit of a breather, but with the virus making its rounds in every corner of the world, and my job being an 'essential-business' I've been working 'round the clock. And often by choice mind you. After a few people quit with the fear of catching the virus, it left us with less people to do peak season numbers. So, yea if I'm not working, I'm mostly sleeping or watching movies to ease my stress. **

**Now you may be asking 'why am I not staying home in quarantine?' It's because I have bills to pay, and a family to help feed and support. With almost everyone being forced to stay home, and my sorry ass being one of the few with an 'essential job' I'm basically the only bread-maker in my household at the moment. Rest assured, I have been taking all the necessary precautions, and I implore you all to do the same. Stay safe out there, all of you.**

**P.S. The fights will be longer in the coming chapters, and I will be show casing more simulations, hell, they'll be a spectacle for the Vytal Festival. The War Games will return, and believe me; I will focus more on the fighting when I do. Mostly cause they'll be fun. I can't promise an update to be soon, but I will try to write when I can.**

**As for Jaune's relationship with his mother, i'm in no way planning to make Mercy out to be a total bitch, believe me. My intention is to have her come across as a mother who means well, but goes about it in the most extreme ways. There will be light-hearted moments, but not before the heart-to-heart comes. Bear with me folks. **


	12. Mother Dearest

Meeting your hero is often an experience, whether good or bad can often be a gamble. Though, in the case with heroes who are well renowned, recognized and revered for the countless stories of their feats that cemented them as beacons of light, seeing a side of them that is anything but what you've been told can lead to quite a reality-shattering moment. Nora was never one for stories of normalcy or anything related to the 'slice of life' genre. For her, anything surrounding the tales of heroes who've been to the deepest pits of hell, fought through hordes of grimm with smiles on their faces were the tales she relished in.

Although, there was always something about the 'Angel' of Atlas that always caught her attention. The tales surrounding that woman were vastly different in each account; one depicts her as a literal gift from Oum, sent down to aid humanity in its trying times, and a fair few would detail her tenacity and vicious anger when dealing with foes who've crossed a line they'd never attempt to cross again.

Though she didn't revere the woman the way Pyrrha did, Nora still had a modicum of respect for the doctor. So when she discovered her partner for the rest of her four years in Beacon was the son of said doctor, it was a surreal thing. Weiss was often in denial, Ruby was over the shattered moon, and Pyrrha almost appeared as though she wanted to press the blond to introduce her to the woman. It was kind of surreal, in a way.

However, with the small moment she spent with the doctor, the eerie silence she retained throughout the whole ordeal left her with a rather wary sentiment, but she never met the woman, nor did she have any form of expectation in regards to meeting her so she had no pre-constructed vision of her. That said…

_*SLAP*_

Nothing in the world could've prepared her for what she witnessed right in front of her. What appeared to be a tender moment between a mother and her child derailed the second the woman's glare returned and her palm reared back. There wasn't even a moment to react as the weight of Mercy's strike was felt amongst the teens. None more so than Nora, who knew a fair deal about the blond's family and had an inkling of an idea as to what sort of relationship her partner had with them. But, given his glowing description of the woman he calls his mother; Nora was not expecting the greeting between the two Zieglers to be a slap across the face.

It was as if the whole world had gone deathly quiet, the students present froze in place as their blond medic slowly raised a palm to his reddened cheek and massaged the stinging pain from the strike.

The reaction from the teens was mirrored; shock.

For Jaune…he was expecting this. He crossed quite a line this time around. Even with bringing down his mother's airship, he remained by her side in Zurich. His choice to run away, to disappear without so much as giving her something to ease her panicked state; he wouldn't deny the flaw in his plan to escape that home. But, he didn't regret a single thing. What happens onward; the two of them wrought.

Mercy's expression had shifted, from the softened features of a mother reuniting with her child, to a harsh glare and unbridled fury that left her body shaking. In truth, she was going to order the others to leave so as to speak to her son alone, but seeing him again, remembering the pain he put her through, her anger took over and she delivered onto him a taste of her anger.

Outwardly, the world could see her unbridled anger. But within, she was elated to see her son again, more so that he was safe and sound. However, the events leading to their reunion left her with little patience. There was nothing in the world she wanted more than to hold him in her arms again, but there was an issue that needed to be dealt with first. And as of the current point; she was not going to wait any longer.

"Do you have even the slightest iota of how much trouble you are in?" Her voice was low, almost a whisper. However, the teens heard, and it added to their worry when the blond medic chuckled dryly at her question before spitting unto the ground.

The saliva that hit shattered the heart of the old doctor. She saw a tint of red mixed in, and it made her heart clench tightly. Regret seeped into her heart, but she would not back down, not this time.

When he turned to meet her gaze, she swore she saw a familiar glint in his eyes; there was no anger or malice in his expression; it was a mirrored image of the man she once loved.

"I got a pretty clear picture." Jaune responded, nursing the red tint in his cheek another few seconds before his aura brightened around the struck area, healing the wound in a matter of seconds. "I'm surprised it took you this long, thought for sure you would've barged down Beacon's doors on the first day."

Mercy's eyes narrowed, gritting her teeth at the mention of the silver-haired bastard.

"Had I known Beacon was your definite choice; I would've put the whole thing to rest before it even began."

"And then you wonder why I don't share anything with you." Jaune threw in, rubbing the tip of his chin as he noticed the woman's expression rearing for another violent burst.

There was an audible growl escaping from the woman's lips as her fist clenched tighter. "Is this a game to you? Do you enjoy hurting me?" Now there was a twist the blond was not expecting, but damned if he was going to let her play the guilt card on him. Mirroring her expression, albeit mildly more contained than her; Jaune displayed his own fury.

"I didn't do this to hurt you; I'm doing this because I want to."

"So you're being selfish?"

"If it means I get to be a hunter, then yes."

Mercy groaned loudly, pacing back and forth while contemplating the lead up to the boy's choice in career path. "How many times must we have this discussion? Why? Why would you risk throwing away your life for something so stupid?" Her choice of words hit a great deal towards the young reaper, more so when it was one of the heroes she looked up to growing up. Meanwhile, the heiress was gripping her arms a bit too tight, this whole fight was reminding her of the conversation she had with her father. With each passing second she felt herself in the blond's shoes. There was this voice in her head gnawing at her to give him a measure of support, to stand in and help. But this was a family matter, and the fact that the two had yet to either demand them to leave, or leave themselves, was evident that the world around them was of little importance at the moment.

"You were a huntress once."

"I made many mistakes. Filling your head with stories about those days was something I should've let die"

"Among other things." Jaune muttered, remembering the more pessimistic side of her story tellings.

_*Slap*_

The second time came as a surprise, to both of them. Jaune didn't expect another hit so early on, but it wasn't as if he assumed she was finished. If anything, the early strike proved she had quite a bit of pent up anger that was at the tipping point. Anything he spoke moving forward could trigger her, meaning he'd have to walk on eggshells. There was no questioning that reinforcing his aura would protect the stinging pain that came with the strikes, but doing so would possibly hurt his mother in the process as she'd basically be striking steel. Regardless of whatever ill sentiment the two had, he loved her. He refused to hurt her any more than he already has. However, he wasn't going to sit quietly in the corner this time.

Angela was just as visibly shocked as her son, she blacked out when he said that, and before she could even react; she'd slapped him again. She knew he couldn't have known how those words dug at her, how one of her biggest regrets came with one of the last usages of her semblance.

By Oum she hated any idea of her children being hurt in any way, none more so than any pain she inflicted on them. And yet, her head kept insisting this all wouldn't have happened if he had just listened. If he had just stayed home, gone to a school in Zurich, stayed where it was safe; none of this would be happening.

She wouldn't have gone after the nearby Fang cells to search for him; they would've instead been home safe and secluded from the world. Away from the military of Atlas and those who would seek them out for whatever ill purposes they had in mind.

By instinct, her hand clasped against her mouth as she watched her son's head rise again, only this time his aura wasn't healing his cheek.

"…I just wanted to be free…"

Her eyes widened, more so when his eyes rose to meet hers. Angela's heart broke when she saw the empty void in his ocean blue orbs.

Weiss' hand clenched her chest.

"I wanted to know what it felt like to not have to look over my shoulder and wonder if the ones following me are Fang, Atlas, or someone sent by you."

With each passing second the heiress felt herself more in his place, and with it; her view of the boy was changing perhaps to a point where she no longer viewed him as the lumbering brute she initially saw him as. But rather, she felt a kinship with him, as if, despite the polar opposite image their families reflected, within closed doors the difference between them grew thinner. It was a bitter sweet feeling to know she wasn't alone, but it ached at her to think of what form of experience the blond went through.

"And you know what?" Jaune now stood defiantly once more, this time inching closer to his mother. "I've learned more about who I am here than I ever did prying you for information. For one…" Jaune took a deep breath, knowing full well who was in the room and how she might treat him going forward. But for the moment; he didn't care; he wanted to get this off his chest. "And I'm still trying to grasp my mind around it…when were you going to tell me?" He gestured to his head, gaining an instant reaction from the woman. It seemed his uncle's revelation was right on the money, however, the blond chose to hammer it further.

"I don't know what you're talking about."

"You don't?" He responded, crossing his arms again. "What? Did you really think I wouldn't find out on my own? But you know, now that I think about it; it makes so much sense. The glowing eyes, the enhanced hearing, the night-vision…" He trailed off; unaware of the widened eyes his classmates had fixed on him. All the attributes he listed were consistent with a certain race. "I was honestly convinced it was my semblance that did all of that…but, I hadn't unlocked my semblance until I started my training, and from what I know; you unlocked my aura when I was an infant…so I suppose that story also checks out."

Hearing that, Mercy felt her anger focus on her former teammate, her fists clenched at the thought of wrangling that loose-lipped cowboy's neck for spilling what was supposed to be a family secret.

Jaune's foot tapped idly on the floor before sighing heavily and reaching for his back pocket. Upon retrieval of his wallet, the blond took out a photograph he'd acquired via an unsuspecting cowboy. It wasn't his finest moment, stealing from his uncle…again. But he knew he would have to tangle this issue eventually, and proof was required if he was to challenge his mother.

Without sharing a word between them, the blond handed the photograph over to her. With extreme hesitation; she took it. Almost immediately her eyes bulged, having thought she would never again see this image. Her newly born child was held tightly in her arms, his head nuzzled gently against her chest while she stroked his faunus arms gently. It was the happiest moment of her life, and she treasured the gift from Oum in her arms greatly. But…with this visage also came the nightmares that kept her up at night. The haunting image of what could've been if she had arrived too late.

She never intended to keep this piece of her son a secret forever, though, when this subject was to eventually come up; questions regarding his father would soon follow seeing as the good doctor was in fact human. However, that can of worms was a subject she wished would've stayed buried.

Realizing that going on feigning ignorance wouldn't play out best for her; she caved, if only to keep her son near her. She couldn't risk having him walk away again, not when he was so close. Though, she also realized whatever grudge he held towards her would not simmer out anytime soon, there was mending to be done in regards to what little relationship they had left. An apology wouldn't cut it. The truth, however, was a start.

She sighed heavily; her eyes remained locked on his as she lowered the photograph ever so slightly. "I…never intended to keep it a secret forever. However, the idea of reliving that moment in time would only ever infuriate me. Remembering what those animals did to you, the fact that they made me watch…" Her finger clenched tightly, to the point where her nails dug into her skin and drew blood. "I didn't want you to feel different, looking the way you did."

To that, her son clicked his tongue, glaring mildly at the doctor. "And how the hell do you think I feel now? Knowing about my heritage, what I really am, knowing that the reason the Fang want me is because of my father!"

And just like that, the heiress could no longer see the hazy image of the brute she first met. Standing before her was someone who she believed could understand her pain, perhaps on a level the two could find an understanding others would lack or oversee. But the thought of someone sharing in her pain, of knowing and understanding her pain was both uplifting for her sense of loneliness; and painful in the fact that Jaune's life might mirror hers. Albeit, with some obvious distinctions.

This conversation instantly caught Blake's attention, none more so with how blatant the doctor despised the Fang to the point that she'd refer to their members as animals. Under normal circumstances she'd easily point out the obvious racial issues the woman was spewing…however, given what she heard from the old cowboy during her reconnaissance, she would relent and give the woman this one thing; for the White Fang to stoop so low, cutting the ears of an infant faunus just to send a message, she would feel the same had she been in Mercy's shoes. Of course, she'd word her disgust a bit less racially charged than the good doctor.

Meanwhile, Mercy had to hold in any fury mounting against her old teammate. One of the few people she still fully trusted and he had to go and spill secrets to her son. Then again, thinking on it; his honesty might be why he was often a trusted source for her boy.

Knowing what she had to do, Mercy gave a quick glance to the teens in the room and gestured to the door. "All of you; out." There was authority in her voice, with a firm grasp and a promise of pain for any and all who dared defy her.

CVFY's team leader was quick to grab her bunny teammate's hand and begin to lead her out with the other two in tow. Seeing Velvet eye her with a sense of worry, the girl made it well known to her teammates and underclassman what was occurring her. "Family issue, doesn't involve us." She stated, her team being the first to leave without any fuss. Team RWBY was a bit hesitant of course, the surprising one to stand her ground was Weiss of all people. Yet, the heiress had respect for privacy in regards to family. She was going to nudge her partner towards the door when she heard a voice firmly declare out loud.

"Make us." Came a guttural growl from the medic's partner, whose fist had small streams of blood flowing from where her nails punctured skin. The fact that she didn't focus her aura on her bleeding was only looked over in place of the sheer audacity she had to speak out against the good doctor. Her words came with a clear ripple effect as Mercy's eyes gaped at the words thrown at her by the red-haired child before her. Nora took a step forward, standing in between her partner and the woman she warily called his mother. Her brow furrowed, almost as if inviting the woman to act on her challenge. "If you think I'm leaving you alone after what I just saw; you've got another thing coming. Oh, and one more thing…" Her finger rose, trembling slightly as the tip jabbed roughly against the doctor's chest. "…you hit my partner again, and I'll break your legs." She growled out, though her statement was met with firm nods from the rest of her team, along with those of their sister team.

"Consider it a promise." Ren commented.

To Nora's surprise, she felt a hand gently grab her shoulder and bring her back. Though short, the teen was by no means weak as it took a bit more muscle than intended to keep the girl from getting any closer. When she turned to see who had turned her around, she was a bit surprised to see her partner pulling her back.

His eyes were soft on her, there was no sense of malice for her rather vocal threat against his mother, but there was something there she couldn't exactly put a pin on.

"Don't get ahead of yourself Nora, as much as I love seeing you pummel people…" There was something to be said about endorsing your partner's outlandish behavior. And yet, Jaune's eyes narrowed when fixed on Mercy, his grip tightening slightly. "She isn't someone you just get into a brawl with. Believe me, she doesn't play nice."

Angela, although peeved at the gull of the short ginger-haired girl, was also a bit abashed for the praise, even if she didn't show it outwardly.

"You say it as though I don't fight fair." Angela perked, raising a brow at the boy's tone.

Jaune only had to lift up his prosthetic arm. "Fourteenth birthday."

Angela felt the heat rush to her cheeks at the reminder of that little mishap. She turned her head away, clicking her teeth at having the memory brought up.

"In any case, there's nothing else that needs to be said here."

"Agreed. Pack your belongings and we will speak of this when we get back to Zurich."

There was a persistent silence that returned for a split second once more.

Jaune released his hold on his partner, glaring rather intently at his mother. The woman, all the while, was glaring just as intensely as he. The two Zieglers stood eerily still, with their expressions mirroring one another it was a wonder there weren't sparks flying from the sheer animosity the two emitted at one another.

"Sorry to break this to you, doc, but I ain't leaving."

Mercy's expressionless face contorted to that of a false smile, carrying none of the warmth one would expect from the 'Angel of Atlas'. She placed a hand against her chin, tilting her head into her palm as she closed her eyes. "Well now, that is an issue, because last I checked; I never gave you permission to enlist in an academy." She took a step forward, causing the teens around her to flinch, yet her son remained firm in place.

"I didn't need your permission." This made Mercy stop in her tracks, her eyelids peered open ever so slightly, pupils locked firmly on her youngest child. "And if you think I'll bend the knee to whatever you want; then I have some tough news for you. I'm not gonna be like you; sitting on the sidelines and turning a blind eye."

"Oh?" The blond felt a chill creep up his spine as he instantly took a stance. "Is that so?" Mercy turned her attention to the monitor. "Athena?"

'Yes, Lieutenant Mercy?'

"Prep the arena."

* * *

As the students had all left the stadium to go about whatever weekend plans they had, those in the private booth lingered. Though Reinhardt stayed mostly quiet, Ana approached the couple they noticed earlier, quickly realizing them to be the leaders of Menagerie. The chief of the Faunus continent, although tall in stature, was just barely reaching the old crusader. The blond teacher from patch was having a rather winded conversation with the old cowboy, despite the Vaswani woman constantly jabbing at his ribs when he brought up unnecessary details about their history.

Although managing to recover, Hana was itching in place. She wanted to leave, with her mother having a 'peaceful' talk with the headmaster, it was no question when she eventually met up with her son one of two things would happen; they'd either get into a heated debate, or fists would exchange…or both. A chance of both happening was a possibility all things considered. Still, with Fareeha keeping her in place, she wasn't exactly in a position to go anywhere, Brigitte's constant praise towards their sibling for his usage of their armor was a tad unnerving, though, given the gear was designed and built by the girl, her boasting was a show of pride for her work. Of course, it didn't mean Hana wasn't proud of him either; taking on two huntresses at once, and the Mistral Champion no less, it was a noteworthy moment she could brag to her team back home. Although, taking a moment to think of things going forward, a plethora of issues plagued the young pilot's mind; the bigger one being what would happen when her mother finds her brother.

She loved the two to death, but their pride and stubbornness were walls she could never tumble down, climb over maybe, but when it came to bringing the two to reason; often than not she found herself unable to get through to them. And then her thought peered over to her younger sibling, the blond who went through a growth surge and left her to join up in this academy with puppets-in-training.

The day she discovered he had disappeared, she tore up heaven and earth to find him. She felt the full weight of her decision to side with her mother finally come crashing down on her, realizing she'd been pushing him away as time went on. None of this would be happening if he just signed up with the medical school in Zurich. Their mother would be happy, he'd be home, and none of this little circus would be happening…but then, what must it have been like for him?

To see his two closest siblings, maybe his only friends at the time, leave for some adventure elsewhere while he was confined to a routine. She could accept that their mother was extreme, yes, but after the incident with his arm…there wasn't anything Hana would hesitate to do if it meant keeping her family safe. But…one thing kept plaguing the pilot's mind.

Where should the line have been drawn?

***Boom***

The booth shook with the weight of the explosion beneath them. The spectators ran to the windows, peering down below as they watched a body fly out from the smoke and skid across the floor until coming to a complete halt near the center. The figure was still covered in dust and soot. After being able to shake off the shock of the attack they tanked, a mess of blond hair was the first thing the observers took notice of.

"Jaune!?" Brigitte was the first to shout, though as she turned to jump into action, a hand caught her shoulder. The engineer turned to find Ana, though, her eyes remained fixed on the stadium below.

* * *

From the blasted hole in the wall emerged the good doctor, unscathed and very much peeved.

Mercy stopped a few feet away, watching with pained eyes as her son shrugged off his fatigue from the earlier fight and stand just to spite her.

"I cannot fathom how I raised such a spiteful, ungrateful child." Mercy spat, watching her son's eyes flare as she spoke. "I gave you everything a growing boy needed; a roof over your head, food on the table, cloths on your back, a home where you'd remain off the radar and away from prying eyes…" She trailed off. "And now you've thrown all that away. Do you not comprehend what people would do to get their hands on the powers our family carries? Fading into obscurity wasn't for nothing." Mercy discarded her coat, allowing her for less constricted movements. Though, from the looks of her clothing, specifically the heels, the blond boy wasn't so sure what to make of this predicament.

"Why do you think I trained with Opa and Jesse, I didn't go on missions for shits and giggles. Like you; every drop of blood and sweat was to hone my skills so I would be able to fend for myself should the time come where I was on my own." Jaune responded, plunging himself towards the woman, encasing himself in aura as he dove straight for her. Of course, Mercy was quick to dodge the attack, though, what she didn't see was the aura shield imploding, the shock wave disorienting her long enough for her boy to land a good kick to her shoulder.

The doctor was sent skidding a few feet before coming to a halt.

"Everything I've done; I did only with the intention that our family would never have to be used for the plots and ploys of the world." Without warning, she charged head on catching her son by surprise, and even landing a good hit to his stomach, causing the boy to heave. "But now your face is out there for everyone to see. For everyone to know who you are."

"The attacks and kidnappings haven't stopped since I was a kid." Jaune groaned out, managing to stand on his two feet, yet wobbling for balance all the same. "Maybe they won't ever stop, no matter how well we hide…but that doesn't mean I'm gonna turn tail and run at the first sign of danger. I'm going to face it head on."

Mercy's brows twitched, her own glare resurfaced as her aura enveloped her body. "No." She growled out, the foundation beneath her cracked beneath her feat. Images began to surface in her head, memories of a young blonde girl making a similar declaration. "I refuse." She muttered, readying her body for another charge. The next image in her head was the girl standing in the midst of her slaughtered family, blood splattered across her face as she stared into the soulless eyes of her fallen kin. The ones she failed to save. "I will not lose you too."

Her aura disappeared in an instant, only to return in full force not a second later, angelic-like wings sprouted from her back as she charged again, striking the boy head on. She knew where his stubbornness came from, how could she not; she had to deal with it long before Jaune was born. If words weren't going to get through to him, there was always the second option…

The observers above watched as the two Zieglers exchanged blows with such ferocity. Even the students who managed to climb over the debris were in awe at the intensity with which the two blonds displayed. While Mercy was light on her feet and quick to evade most blows, her son seemed more rooted in his fighting style, taking defensive stances and attacking only when he saw an opportunity. Though, each blow dealt was done so with every ounce of fury they could muster for each strike.

Weiss, after finally climbing over a chunk of debris, watched the infamous Mercy go against her son with such fury. She couldn't deny the feeling of awe in watching the former Overwatch agent fight, more so in a way that was in total contrast to the image she had molded over the years. However, given who it was she was sparring against, the heiress could help but worry for her classmate who was showing to be losing ground with second.

And it showed, Jaune, although with his aura on constant regeneration, was lagging with each usage of his semblance to keep his body powered up. It helped that he wasn't with a heavy set of armor to weigh him down, though, given his mother's fighting style he wished he had time to reequip his gear. His real weakness, however, were the half-assed attacks he used on her. And though he could feel her holding back, there was still some residual fury from his stunt that lingered in her subconscious.

Mercy was breaking from within, she wanted this fight to end. But, she couldn't concede, not when the outcome of him fighting for Ozpin would lead down a path his father once took. Her heart shattered at the loss of her former lover. It was mended only by the little bundle of joy she gave birth to. Yet, it seemed as though he was rearing to walk down the same fate his father suffered through.

She wouldn't allow it.

She refused to allow any more of her family to die for Ozpin's cause.

Mercy swiped the boy's legs, sending him tumbling as she reared her fist back for a final strike.

When her strike hit, the floor beneath them shattered, unearthing chunks of the arena's floor. The entirety of those observing the fight felt their hearts skip a beat. A strike with that amount of force would've surely broken something. Fareeha felt the blood from her face drain, wondering if the two had gone too far breath hitched when the dust in the epicenter dissipated, revealing a blond teen on the floor, eyes wide open, with his mother standing directly over him; her fist a few inches from his face, an indication that her fist had not struck directly, but the force behind her attack was what shattered the battle field.

"Tell me…" Jaune flet something warm drop against his cheek, his eyes shifted from his mother's fist to her teary eyes. Though she showed signs of breaking down, she still retained her stoic expression. "…what did I do wrong?" Her fist reached out and grasped his shirt, pulling him slightly up as she visibly attempted to retain her tears from flowing.

Jaune's eyes narrowed, a faint snarl creeped from his throat. "You can't be serious." His hands creeped up and grasped his mother's. "How about all the lies?" He growled out, rearing his head back before head-butting the doctor.

The audience was quick to take notice; the good doctor let her guard down; her aura didn't shield her from the hit. And judging by the noticeable trickle of red from the boy's nose; he too let his aura drop. The teen dangled off the woman's iron grip, his left eye half-lidded, and his nosing still trickling red. His sudden attack caught her off guard, but none more so then the words he would utter next. "You can't honestly believe I was happy living the way I did. A fixed schedule, handlers to walk me to and from school, restrictions on who I could associate with; that was just the tip of the shit I had to live through. I was more a prisoner than your son."

Mercy's eyes furrowed. She struck him, hard enough to get her point across, yet she still felt herself holding back. "I did it to protect you. I might've gone too far, but I would've done it all again if it meant you would stay safe. Regardless of what you may think, I have never treated you any other way."

"Really? For all that talk about keeping me safe, sure as hell took me a bit of lien, but I managed to stay off the radar for a whole week. Do you know how it feels to constantly watch your back, hoping and praying you're not found and sent home?" He shot back. "If that doesn't register as a red flag then nothing I say is gonna convince you otherwise." The blond teen attempted to force her back, only to find her grip tightening, and even with one of her fists grasping at his hair.

"You have no idea the things I did as a huntress. The strings I pulled to disappear from the world, to escape Atlas, forsaking Ozpin and his forlorn war, to give you a life I never had." Her yanking at his locks eased up, though not enough to have her release him entirely. "All I wanted was normalcy, a life for you where there weren't any wars, the world and its problems were not our own; and I could live out my days watching you grown old with your own family instead of worrying over whether I'd see you walk through my door again."  
At that point, there was no use holding it in, the doctor had streams running down her cheeks. Yet, her anger was still prevalent as she was trying to keeping her struggling son locked in place.

"I will not stand by and watch another Ziegler die for nothing!"

Jaune managed to deliver a well-aimed jab, causing the good doctor to release her hold as she tumbled back.

"That isn't for you to decide." Jaune muttered, slowly picking himself up, all the while wobbling with each movement he made to keep himself balanced.

The two Zieglers stood defiantly against one another, the teen and doctor both showed blood and bruising, indicating their fight had gone on without the protection of aura. Which could only make the observers shudder at how far the two would go if the first sign of blood was not enough to stop them.

Angela had come this far, she would not go home without her baby. She couldn't leave him here, not where Ozpin could feed the boy false hope about a war on which neither side would win. Though, before she was able to move, a needle struck her shoulder, her son staggered forward as the doctor saw a similar one hit him from behind. The effects were not instantaneous for the doctor, given her experience with these specific darts in the past. Though, her son was quickly dozing off, his body wobbled from side to side with his eyes fighting to stay awake. But within seconds the boy was slowly timbering forward.

As Jaune's eyes neared complete darkness, he could faintly hear a rush of steps coming towards him, and a warm pair of arms embracing him, holding him tightly as his mind fell into unconsciousness.

* * *

_-Hours Later-_

It was slow, but the blond teen felt the feeling in his limbs slowly return. It started with being able to twitch his fingers, down to opening his eyes and staring up at the ceiling. There was something to be said about a person who could recognize the tiles in the ceiling of their academy's infirmary, especially at night. But that would have to wait, there was a soft warm breeze blowing down unto his head and what felt like an arm draped across his chest. Oddly enough, he felt at ease, more so when he could distinctly feel a hand brushing idly into his hair. It was almost like the moments he spent as a child, when he couldn't sleep on his own the night prior and would wake the next morning in the arms of…

Jaune's head turned slowly towards the source of the warm breath, his eyes landed on a pair of feline ears. There were two candidates those ears could belong two, and judging by the brownish hue of the fur, he had his answer.

He didn't dare move his head, lest he wake her by accident, but he couldn't deny the ease he felt just being close to his sister.

"Now there's something I haven't seen in a while." The blond's eyes shifted towards the foot of his bed, his head moving slowly so as to not disturb Hana's slumber. Much to his surprise, his mother was sitting across from his bed, arms crossed, and lightly bandaged across her head and nose.

"Take a picture, might be the last time." He muttered quietly.

Though, Angela smirked and held up her scroll. "Already did." She placed her scroll away, leaning her head back against the wall as her eyes stuck to the ceiling.

Jaune mirrored her, gazing up at the ceiling, the bond felt his sibling shift, her head nuzzled against his, leading to her grip being tightened. It would've been a heartfelt scene had the teen not felt his head being slightly crushed by her hold.

"She was worried sick." Angela muttered, her eyes still focused on the ceiling. Jaune's eyes snapped back to his mother as she reached for something in her coat. "Hana was a mess, when she wasn't sulking she was lashing out at everyone. Especially me." She chuckled at the choice words the girl had the gull to spew. "I always hated being talked down to, more so when it came from my own child…but, in that moment; I had nothing to respond to her accusations."

Jaune felt something in his chest tighten, though, he knew better than to get his hopes up.

"Everything I ever did; I did for my family…however, I am not going to deny that I may have gone too far."

"That's an understatement." Jaune mumbled, earning a faint glare from the woman.

She had a snide remark to throw his way, though, given the two were speaking without a fist flying at one another, she bit down on her tongue, choosing to opt for the peaceful setting. "On the ride here, I had time to think things through…to try and understand why you ran away." Angela avoided eye contact at first, her palms trembled as her fingers gently massaged her head. "The stress was only made worse when I discovered which academy you joined…or rather, when I watched the initiation footage."

Jaune shuffled a bit, just enough to warrant his sibling to slightly increase her hold. "Yea, not my best moment. Nora still wants to get back at me for the way I boosted her though."

Angela chuckled softly, sparing an eye and raised brow at her child. "Speaking of, how did you manage to acquire Ana's vials? She's not exactly the sharing type."

The teen merely shrugged. "It helps when you're the youngest grandchild."

After a brief chortle, the room remained silent once more, only the soft breathing and running A/C could be heard. Jaune, for the most part, could feel most of his limbs again, inching each second to release himself from his sister's grasp. Which, after a bit more wiggling he did, sliding away from her dejected face, only to cringe as he attempted to sit up.

He instinctively recoiled, gripping at his abdomen with visible pain etched on his face. The blond soon felt two fingers poke at his forehead and with a small amount of force push him back unto the bed.

"Easy now, takes more than a day for aura to heal your wounds, mine too." She muttered, her fingers trailing across his bandages before releasing a heavy sigh and walking towards the door, albeit with a noticeable limp. "Rest up, I will be back later to check up on you."

Jaune, to his credit, threw in a small jab at her before she reached the door. "I'm still not going home." Angela stopped in front of the door. "I'm going to be a hunter, whether you approve or not." He breathed out, waiting for her to negate his words or spout some tangent over how he WAS going home whether he wanted to or not.

"It would seem your little attack to my cranial has left me unable to fly home." Jaune's head perked up. "And I am not one to take risks, especially not now. So, until I am able to fly again we will remain at Beacon." A glimmer of hope sparked in his heart…that was, until he realized the implication of what her words meant. "Amelie was kind enough to offer me a place in her dorm room for the time being, so until I am well enough, I shall remain here." Jaune felt his face blanch, the chill in his spine worsened as he watched her head turn to the side, eyes boring down at him. "Make no mistake; this conversation is not over." She turned forward once again, though, as she gripped the handle to the medical room, she stopped. The blond tensed, wondering if she was going to throw in some jab or promise of how she'd be watching him like a hawk from now on. Instead, though… "Every day that passes, I see more of him in you." She muttered, face still facing forward. "He'd be so proud of you…I wish you could've met him." Before being given a chance to speak, the doctor left the room, allowing the blond to ponder on her words as he slumped back on the cot. Never once did his mother ever reveal anything, not even so much as alluding to his father beforehand. But now? With this?

He began to imagine what his old man might look like, feeling like a toddler again where he'd sit idly by the door and wondering if he'd ever meet the man. Still, just the fact that she was acknowledging him was enough of an assurance that maybe, just maybe, things would change from here on out. He didn't hold on to the thought too tightly. Mercy was a stubborn woman.

Feeling a stinging pain in his head, the blond allowed his boy to lay completely, the weight of the day finally coming down on him as his eyelids felt heavy once more.

_*Cue; Illabye*_

Jaune's eyes opened briefly, though his vision as rather hazy. He heard his lullaby play clear as day. To others, the tune always seemed to creep them out, and often times it resulted in him being branded as weird. Even his sister, who clung to him almost as soon as the melody began playing, would only ever listen to it if she were close to him or their mother. With what little he could see, the blond noticed a darkened figure standing at his bed side. He figured it to be his mother, make no mistake Mercy detested the music box and the tune that came with it. But given the small toy was enough to put the little one down for sleep, she reluctantly held on to it. And with that notion, the blond allowed himself to be taken by slumber.

All the while, towering over his beside, a hooded figure stands idly watching over him. His crimson eyes shone brightly in the darkened room. The unknown's hand reached downwards, grasping the little music box gently, eyeing the contraption for a moment before wounding it back, and allowing the tune to play again.

And he? He was content as is. Standing by, watching from afar.

For now.

* * *

**Before anything, lemme just say, I've been reading a lot of stories where a runaway child (Mostly Jaunes, as they are surprisingly abundant if you know where to look) reunites with their family and though a few were played off for comedic gags, I know for certain a lot of you won't like how I handled this. But you gotta understand two very important things; a good parent will always a feel a measure of fury when their child does something monumentally dangerous, and even to the point where there are blows exchanged. I speak from experience, and believe me when I say; I had it coming. Whether you think it's wrong or not is ultimately irrelevant, because no two parents are the same. Parents will definitely have different reactions to what their children do, some lash out verbally, some physical, others both. I was on the both spectrum. And keep in mind, the physical was only for the monumental stupidity. **

**Now, I'm not saying hitting is the right way to go by any means, I'm simply stating that for those who will think the slap was unwarranted; I'll have you know the blond boy got off easy. The second important factor; writers tend to write on the spectrum of what they perceive to be morally right or wrong. Nothing wrong with that, everyone's got an opinion. However, I was raised in a household were family members had short-fuses, and overprotectiveness ran rampant amongst the mothers. But the thing that surprises me, even to this day; the love is still there. No matter how far the anger gets, eventually the family comes back together, buries the hatchet and moves on. Takes time and effort, don't get me wrong. That's how I view the world; family first; always. There's a fight? Bury it. Nothing in life is worth staying mad at family. (With some obvious exceptions of course)**

**Now, is that how you, my readers, see the world? No, I don't believe we all share that view. I know some have a more vindictive view on the subject, but for this story, I'm displaying the values I grew up with. **

**Now, by no means is Mercy done with her son, and there will be some more fleshed out fights I have in mind for the future, along with some little gags regarding what we healers dread to hear spammed by a certain DPS. **

**Do keep in mind, my job is running peak season numbers right now, and my position puts me to work for the entire shift. I stay till the end, so I barely have enough time as is. That being said, I wanna focus on my other stories too. I'll try to get another chapter up soon, until then, ya'll stay safe. **


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